


Koshi's Curse

by SecretLeePsycho



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Animal Transformation, Cat bath, Daichi can't say no to Suga, Daichi keeps getting scratched, Daichi warned him, Dog bite, Embarrassed Sugawara, Fluff and Humor, Hinata and Kageyama need to learn their animals, Kuroo's hyena laugh, Light Suga injury, Male Friendship, Suga Centric, Tanaka has a no filter, Teasing, Tsukki being Tsukki, bad language, cat urges, curse, cute as a button, falling in a koi pond, freaked out Suga, second best kiss, soggy cat burrito, strawberry shampoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:20:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24694390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretLeePsycho/pseuds/SecretLeePsycho
Summary: Reluctantly pulling away from Yamaguchi, Suga slunk up to the brunette and hid beneath his knees, perching on his sneakers."Guys, I can't go home like this, my Dad's allergic to cats! What am I going to do?""Weren't you planning to bring that other cat home?" Daichi questioned."That's not the point! I can't show up as an animal, what would I even tell them?""If he can't go home, maybe we could take him to a shelter." Kageyama Suggested."What?!" Suga yowled."We can't dump a talking cat off at a shelter, use your brain!" Tanaka contradicted, smacking the genius setter on the back of the head as Ennoshita shook his at the two of them."More like we can't dump our Vice-Captain off at a shelter."Tanaka stammered."Well yeah- I was going to say that too."**************************************************After rescuing a cat that's being attacked by a flock of crows, Suga finds himself entranced by the mysterious feline and chases after it despite Dachi's warning. Suddenly there is a flash of light... And Suga is a cat! Don't worry, he has Daichi to look after him! ;D
Comments: 32
Kudos: 65





	1. Mysterious Cat

**Author's Note:**

> I was gonna make this a one shot, but I think i'll just make it a short story with a few chapters instead! Enjoy!

"Man, I know we're training for nationals, but I'm beat!"

Flopping back on the cool green grass of the school yard, Sugawara let out a tired moan and squinted as he held a hand above his head to shield his eyes. The large tree he'd collapsed under provided plenty of shade, but beams of sunlight shone between the leaves like scorching lasers.

It was noon on a Saturday, and the team had practice in order to cram in as much training as possible. That was the plan, despite practically melting to the gymnasium floor as the heat crept into the building and stole their will to live. Even Daichi was having a hard time staying hydrated as they sweat uncontrollably, and it was his insistence they practice on the weekend. He had compromised by allowing water breaks every 15 minutes, and after two hours of heavy breathing and receiving drills, the Captain granted them a half hour intermission to cool down and rest before diving into the last hour.

"You're the Vice-Captain, should you really be complaining so loud? You'll set a bad example for the other guys." Daichi chuckled, coming to join Suga under the tree and tossing a freshly filled water bottle at him.

Grunting as it landed on his stomach, Suga grabbed the water lazily and let out another groan as he rolled onto his side, jutting his chin out in a petulant pout.

"Don't use my title against me, it's the only thing I have these days. Not all of us can be big, tough, bully captains who run their team into the ground on a 90-degree day. Some of us are tired vice-captains who may have stayed up too late watching horror films."

Daichi snorted and shook his head at his friend who still laid on the ground, laughing lightly as the silver haired boy rolled onto his back once more and gave a dramatic yawn.

"You knew we had practice at 10, whose fault is that?"

"Still yours."

"Ah, sure it is."

Lowering himself onto the ground beside Suga, Daichi took a long drink from his water bottle and wiped his mouth on his forearm as he watched the rest of the team running about, dumping water on each other. He grinned as Tadashi made to splash Tsukishima, then stopped in his tracks with a sheepish laugh as the blond boy shot him a glare that hinted at certain death. The genius wing spiker really could use some lessons on how to lighten up. Daichi was quiet for a moment as he shook his head at the others and their antics, but then peeked over his shoulder to look at Suga with a little frown.

"I'm not really running everyone into the ground… Am I ?" The brunette worried.

He might act like a warden, but Daichi really was a kind person. He wanted them to win with every fiber of his being but would pull back on the training if he thought they had reached their limits. They were more than just teammates after all, they were his friends too.

Eyes turning amused and soft, Suga reached out to pat his long-time friend on the knee and gave a wink.

"Don't worry Captain, I'd let you know if we were fed up with your tyranny."

Skin creasing at the corners of his eyes as he smirked in return, Daichi laughed again.

"Of course you would."

CAW! CAW! CAW!

Suddenly a cacophony of noise exploded behind the two third years and Suga sat up abruptly as a murder of crows screeched, chasing after a poor fleeing cat. Hissing and batting at the large birds as they dove and pecked, the tan striped feline darted past Suga and Daichi before the flock descended upon it.

Lurching to his feet in alarm, Sugawara was running to the animal's aid in a heartbeat as Daichi looked back and forth with startled eyes.

"Hey, cut it out! Leave the poor thing alone!"

"Suga, don't get in the middle of it! You're going to get attacked, wait a second!"

The brunette tossed his water bottle to the grass as he too jumped to his feet, chasing after his reckless friend as the setter dove right into the mob of pecking and clawing, using his body to shield the cat as he hunched over it. Wings slapped at Suga's ears and beaks pecked the exposed skin on his arms, neck, and legs, but the silver haired boy kept his head tucked down and refused to let go of the fluffy animal hiding beneath him.

Daichi had no idea what to do as the horde of birds attacked his teammate, looking around for something he might use to beat them away and groaning frustrated as he came up empty handed.

"How do you get into these kinds of situations, like seriously?!" Daichi demanded as Suga let out a yelp, curling tighter in a ball as he yelled a response.

"Is now really the time for questions? Just do something! OW-"

"Like what?!"

"Something!"

Grabbing his head as he shook it in exasperation, Daichi thought for a second and then gripped the hem of his shirt to pull it up and off. Using it as a weapon, the captain began swatting at the black birds, beating them away as he shouted.

"Go on, get out of here! Shoo! OUCH- Stupid bird, shoo!"

After pinching the arm of the interfering boy, the crows finally began to cease their attack, and took off angrily into the sky to get away from the shirt Daichi wielded like a sword. By this point, the rest of the team had gathered and was crowding to see what the heck their captains were doing.

"What the hell did you guys do to piss off a bunch of crows?! Steal an egg or something?"

Daichi panted with his hands on his knees as he shook his head at Tanaka's question, jabbing a thumb at Suga who was still crouched in a ball.

"Why don't you ask Mr. Jump into a horde of angry birds, ask questions later? Honestly Suga, you're gonna be the death of me." Daichi grumbled, catching his breath.

"Don't listen to him, he's glad you're safe too…"

The boys gathered round as Suga spoke in a soft soothing tone, peeking at the bundle of creamy tan and black fur he held in his arms. Moving slowly, the vice-captain unfolded himself, sitting back on his heels as he held the cat gently to his chest. He didn't seem to notice the angry red marks or scratches he sported on his arms and legs.

"Is that a cat?" Hinata asked, crouching down and taking a closer look at the furry creature.

"No, it's an aardvark." Tsukishima muttered dryly.

"An aardvark? What's that."

"It's a type of boat, dumbass." Kageyama interjected, and Yamiguchi snickered.

Tsukishima deadpanned.

"You're both idiots."

"Shut your stupid mouth! Why don't you say that to my face?!" The redhead yelled embarrassed.

"I just did. Idiot."

"Knock it off guys, you're gonna scare him." Suga hissed in a hushed voice, throwing the first years a warning look that instantly cut off Hinata's retort.

"You did it to save a cat? Why were those crows chasing it?"

Crouching down next to the silver haired setter, Yamiguchi rested his arms on his knees and leaned his head on them to gaze at the animal.

Tilting his head to look down into the feline's face, Suga shrugged.

"No idea. Wow… Look at those eyes. It's almost like they're glowing…They're so green and..."

Taking in a short breath of surprise, Suga stared entranced as the cat turned its face up to him, something like a trance falling over the ashen haired boy. The slits in its eyes were so narrow it was as those there was no pupil, just two luminescent globes that bore into Suga's, giving him the feeling his mind was being read. For a stray, it was a very regal looking cat, soft pink in its light tan ears with sharp black stripes that formed an M of sorts on its forehead. A short tawny mane circled its neck and a long-haired black tipped tail swished back and forth idly as it watched Suga.

"And what?"

Daichi had managed to catch his breath and was curious as to why his friend had stopped talking. Coming closer, he knelt beside Suga and reached his hand out to pet the animal.

"Let me get a look at this trouble making furball."

MROWW!

Striking like a cobra, the cat suddenly bit down on Suga's arm and leapt from the setter's hold, taking off across the school grounds.

"OUCH! Hey, Come back!"

Slapping a hand over the bleeding teeth marks on his forearm, Suga glared at Daichi and jumped to his feet.

"You hurt his feelings!"

"What? It's a cat, it can't get it's feelings hurt!" Daichi argued, looking exasperated as he took his friend's arm, wanting to make sure the bite wasn't too deep.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm gonna go catch that cat. There's something really weird about it, maybe I'll try to convince my parents to keep him." Suga said distractedly, breaking free from Daichi to jog after the feline as it ran toward the gymnasium.

"Keep it?! It just bit you, Suga!"

"Because you insulted him! Come on!"

"Insulted a cat, you've got to be kidding me."

Daichi shook his head in disbelief, still gripping the shirt he'd taken off as he watched his friend chase an animal that had made him bleed. Letting out a sigh, the brunette quickly fetched his and Suga's water bottles before running after him.

"Let's go, I'm going to need help talking sense into our ridiculous Vice-Captain." Daichi muttered, various team members snickering in amusement as they obeyed their orders.

Not far behind the fleeing creature, Suga stopped in his tracks as the cat suddenly paused outside the gym doors, looking back at him over it's shoulder as if to make sure he was still following. Holding his hands up in an innocent gesture, he slowly crept closer and whispered to the cat.

"Here Kitty kitty… Don't you want to come home with me? I'll buy you the nicest little bed, I'll even let you cough up hairballs on Daichi's shoes when he's over."

One of the cat's beige ears twitched at Suga's proposition, looking back at him intently, but then it turned forward once more and trotted through the open metal doors into the gym.

"Hey, where are you going?" Suga frowned, following his feline friend inside as the rest of the team caught up to him.

Entering the gym, he was intrigued to find the cat sitting on the court waiting for him. Tilting his head perplexed, the Vice-Captain furrowed his brow in confusion as he slowly walked toward it, lustrous jade eyes watching Suga's every move as he tiptoed.

"Suga, this isn't a good idea…" Daichi warned from the doorway, the rest of the team gathering behind him.

"Shh, it's fine…"

Reaching out a tentative hand, the silver haired boy crouched as he continued his mission, each step bringing his fingertips nearer the enigmatic cat who stared back at him, completely unmoving as if it were a statue.

"That's right… Stay right there… Easy…"

Just as Suga touched the top of the cat's head, it lunged forward and suddenly the gymnasium was bathed in bright blinding light. Letting out a startled cry as the other boys gasped behind him, he closed his eyes and covered his head, enduring the strangest feeling that washed over him, something like being turned inside out.

Just as quick as it began, it was over.

"Suga! Where did you go…"

The setter was confused by Daichi's question, how could he not see him in the middle of the empty gym? Hearing the stampede of footsteps that sounded far too loud, Suga blinked wildly as he realized he was tangled in something and fought his way free. Some kind of cloth fell away from him, and then he was staring up at… Giant versions of his teammates?!

"Woah, why do you guys look so big? What's going on?"

"I-It can talk!"

Yamaguchi pointed a finger at the setter aghast, making Suga pull his head back in befuddlement.

"What are you talking about, of course I can talk." He retorted, looking up at Daichi's disturbed expression, noticing the rest of the team gawking at him just the same.

"Why are you all looking at me like that… You're freaking me out… Daichi?"

Suga looked to his friend for answers, wondering what was going through his head as he leaned down and squinted, rubbing his eyes as if his vision was bad. Finally, he spoke, but it did nothing to rid his confusion.

"You're- You're a cat."

Staring back at the brunette for a moment, Suga blinked.

"I'm sorry, what-"

"Suga's a cat!"

Cringing at Hinata's high pitched yell, the fluffy grey and cream cat puffed out it's tail and shrunk down to the floor. In the place Sugawara had been, a pile of clothes that matched what the third year had been wearing was sitting on the ground, a delicately colored round-eyed cat atop it.


	2. Not It!

"Is… Is that Really you Suga?"

Staring up at Daichi with wide alarmed eyes, the boy turned cat looked down to where his hands should be and began backing up as if he could step away from the sight of two beige and white paws. They moved with him, and then he was looking back and forth behind him to find a sweeping grey tail, his pink nose puffing out anxious breaths, a little black speckle beneath his left eye.

"I-… H-How? AhhHHH! I'M A CAT!"

Continuing to back up as his panic got the better of him, Suga bumped into someone's shoes and let out a startled feline cry, flinching at the noise he'd just made and feeling threatened by the massive players that surrounded him.

"Er- it's okay, calm down." Daichi said, squatting beside his fluffy friend and reaching out to pat him on the head.

Lashing out unintentionally, Suga clawed the Captain's hand and then curled in on himself horrified as Daichi gasped and yanked his hand away.

"I- I'm sorry! I don't know why I did that, I'm so sorry!"

Putting his index finger to his lips to suck away the blood, Daichi shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, just try and breathe."

"Try and breathe?! I'm a cat, Daichi! How am I supposed to-"

Suddenly there was a gentle finger stroking under Suga's chin, both startling and ceasing the setter's rant as it drew a little chirp out of him. He tried to remain focused on the situation at hand, but he found himself stretching his neck out to better enjoy the chin scratch.

"Look at that… He's purring."

Tsukishima was staring down at Suga with a disturbed expression, his brows screwed up as he watched Yamaguchi pet their Vice-Captain.

"Oooh, how'd you know he'd like that?" Hinata asked, crouching down beside the forest haired server and leaning in fascinated

"My grandma feeds a lot of cats that live around her house, I go over on the weekends to help out sometimes. Most of them like their chin scratched." He replied casually, moving to scratch at the side of Suga's face, sinking his fingers into the soft cream mane.

Leaning into Yamaguchi's palm, Suga closed his eyes and forgot who he was for a moment. The first year chuckled.

"They like this too."

"D-Daichi, what do we do? How do we change him back?"

Asahi had also come to crouch beside cat Suga, picking up his friend's clothes that had been discarded and gripping one of the shoes anxiously. The Captain shrugged his shoulders incredulous.

"How would I know? This isn't something that should be possible, I have no clue how he became a cat, much less how to change him back."

Reluctantly pulling away from Yamaguchi, Suga slunk up to the brunette and hid beneath his knees, perching on his sneakers.

"Guys, I can't go home like this, my Dad's allergic to cats! What am I going to do?"

"Weren't you planning to bring that other cat home?" Daichi questioned.

"That's not the point! I can't show up as an animal, what would I even tell them?"

"If he can't go home, maybe we could take him to a shelter." Kageyama Suggested.

"What?!" Suga yowled.

"We can't dump a talking cat off at a shelter, use your brain!" Tanaka contradicted, smacking the genius setter on the back of the head as Ennoshita shook his at the two of them.

"More like we can't dump our Vice-Captain off at a shelter."

Tanaka stammered.

"Well yeah- I was going to say that too."

"I'll take you home, Suga!"

Peeking out from under Dachi's tanned leg, Suga peered up at their shortest player with his large hazel-brown eyes.

"Nishinoya?"

"Yeah, man! Just gotta look out for my Grandpa's dog. He's pretty chill most of the time, but he hates cats. I don't think he's ever caught one, but with those teeth, I'd bet he could rip you to shreds!"

Sugawara bristled horrified and ducked beneath Daichi's knees once more.

"Thanks… I think I'll pass."

Rubbing his neck, Narita looked apologetic.

"I'd volunteer, but I don't think it would work out well. My Mom is terrified of anything that isn't a goldfish."

"Yeah, my sister would probably dress you in doll clothes." Hinata sighed.

"I'm actually allergic." Kinnoshita admitted.

"What about Tsukishima?"

"No."

"Why not?" The Libero prodded as his idea was shot down.

"Don't want to."

Suga made an affronted noise from his hiding place, flattening his ears as he glared at Tsukishima. The tall blond shrugged shamelessly apathetic.

"No offense. I don't like cats."

The setter huffed angrily.

"How is that not offensive?!"

"Alright, calm down."

Daichi reached between his knees to pick up the sulking cat, holding him beneath the armpits as he stood up and took a good look at his fluffy friend who hung limply in his hands.

"I guess I'll sleep in the trashcans out back like a stray." Suga muttered miserably. "Maybe I'll get lucky and find myself some dinner before the raccoons do."

Daichi rolled his eyes and shook his head at his friend.

"Don't be so dramatic. You're coming home with me."

"With you?" Suga mumbled, ears still flattened.

"Of course."

"What about your parents, will they mind?" Asahi asked as everyone got to their feet once more.

"I don't know, I'm sure I'll figure something out if they do."

"Perfect!" Tanaka crowed.

"It's settled, cat Suga will go home with Daichi. Does this mean he'll have to shit in a litter box?"

Daichi let out an exasperated sigh.

"Seriously, Tanaka?"

"What? It's an honest question! He's already got his balls on display, what's talking about his bathroom habits?"

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD- Stop talking!" Suga hissed, squirming with embarrassment in Daichi's grasp.

The captain struggled to hold onto Suga, adjusting him so that he was perched in his arms against his still bare chest. Turning his attention to the rest of the team, Daichi raised his voice so everyone could hear.

"You guys lucked out, we'll end practice early today and pick up things tomorrow, 10AM sharp. Get this place cleaned up, except you, Tanaka. You're doing a flying lap since you can't get your mind out of the gutter."

"Ah, man! You have no sense of humor, Boss…"

"That's what you get for talking about the Vice-Captain's balls." Tsukishima taunted from behind his hand.

"You can join him, maybe you'll find your appreciation for cats while you're at it." Daichi said, fighting the urge to smirk as the middle blocker instantly lost his smug attitude. Tanaka laughed raucously and slapped him on the back to lead him away.

"Ha! Move it, four eyes!"

Tsukishima frowned, knocking the hand away.

"Get off me."

Coming to stand beside Daichi with Suga's bundle of clothes, Asahi chuckled lightly.

"And he said you had no sense of humor."


	3. Wild Cat Chase

15 minutes later and in the club room, the boy's volleyball team was gathering their bags and heading home, the third years lingering as they discussed their plan.

"I once heard a children's story about how a little girl rescued a piglet from a flock of crows, it got separated from his family and got lost in the woods. Turns out it was a spirit animal, and as a thank you it turned the little girl into a piglet for a day. Do you think this is the same?" Asahi asked, reaching out to tentatively rub an index finger on Suga's small grey head.

"A flock of crows, huh? I wonder if it's like a trickster god or something, I wouldn't say I believed anything like that until today. It sounds as good a speculation as any, you should be grateful Suga." Daichi said with a light laugh.

Suga batted the finger that mused his furry head.

"How so?"

"It'd be a lot harder to take a pig home, although I do regret missing the opportunity to watch you roll around in the mud."

As the two larger third years laughed, Suga huffed through his small pink nose and reached up to swat Daichi's chin.

"I'm the only one nice enough to help a poor defenseless cat, and this the thanks I get. It's completely unjust if you ask me."

"Maybe you'll listen to your wise Captain telling you to butt out, next time."

"Not likely."

Daichi shook his head at the stubborn boy, he might be a gentle, but he that didn't mean the Vice-Captain wasn't rebellious and persistent.

"Go in my bag and get my phone. I've got to tell my Mom I'm staying at your place tonight so she doesn't worry." Suga said, springing from the brunette's arms.

Landing clumsily, he ran to the brown duffle bag that sat beside Daichi's grey one, and bumped against it.

"It's in the side zipper pocket, just throw my clothes in here, Asahi."

Crossing to his teammate's bag after putting his shirt back on, Dachi raised his brows.

"I didn't know cats were so bossy, in this one? What's your password?"

"I don't have thumbs if you haven't noticed, it's not like I can do it." Suga complained. "It isn't locked, you just have to swipe up."

As the amused brunette knelt, the grey cat jumped up to rest his fluffy front paws on Daichi's thigh. Pulling the bag to him, the Captain knelt to look through the compartment on the side and drew out a phone in a light blue case.

"You really should lock your phone, Suga, what might happen if it falls into the wrong hands?"

Sugawara scoffed.

"The wrong hands? I spend almost all my time with you and the rest of the team, I think I'm okay."

Sliding his thumb up the screen like he was instructed, Daichi became intrigued as he saw the background, bringing it closer to get a better look. Standing on a concrete staircase outside and bundled up for cold weather, Daichi, Asahi, Kiyoko, and Suga each claimed a step, looking at the camera. It was obvious Suga had taken the picture, as the camera was closest to him and angled up to capture his friend's smiling faces.

"Is this from New Years?"

"Yeah, isn't it a nice photo? It's the perfect wallpaper, it has all of us third years." Suga commented proudly, beginning to purr and rubbing his head against Daichi's knee.

A little surprised at the affection, Daichi looked down to Suga and then to Asahi who had come to drop the setter's clothes into his bag. The two grinned at one another and shared a laugh.

"I agree, it is a nice photo." Daichi admitted, ruffling the soft fluff on his friend's head.

Realizing what he was doing, Suga quickly ceased his snuggling and pushed off his friend to wrap his poofy tail about his feet, fully intending to pretend he hadn't been cuddling the brunette's knee.

Daichi grinned but spared the silver haired boy as he navigated to his texts, locating 'Mom' and quickly typing a brief message. Turning the screen to the cat, he lowered the phone so that his friend could see.

"How's this?"

Suga read over it.

"'I'm staying at Daichi's, I won't be home tonight.' What are you, a robot?" He chuckled, Daichi wrinkling his nose in a dull glare.

"It's Sawamura when I'm talking to my Mom. Add a 'love you' at the end, then you can send it."

The Captain shook his head but obliged.

"Of course, your highness."

Suga snickered.

"Now that's more like it. Cats use to be worshipped, you know."

Daichi snorted as he grinned at the feline setter.

"Are you saying you want us to worship you, Suga?"

"Well, I mean a little bit wouldn't hurt. Who doesn't want to be admired?" Suga said in an impish tone.

"I admire you Senpai! You're smart and super nice, not to mention you helped me with my receives! You're totally awesome!"

Suga blinked surprised as Hinata stood in the door of the clubroom, gripping his backpack straps and beaming reverently at his upperclassman. Smiling, the cat laughed lightheartedly, grateful he wasn't capable of blushing at the moment. Daichi chuckled and shook his head.

"You're gonna give him an even bigger head, Hinata."

The energetic first year cocked his head to the side in befuddlement.

"But… Sugawara's head is really small right now, what do you mean?"

Asahi laughed softly, stooping to grab his duffle bag and tug it onto his shoulder.

"It means he's already cocky, so your compliments will only make it worse."

"Ooooh… But confidence is good right? That's what Tanaka always says!"

"Yeah, you should pick and choose the advice you take from Tanaka." Daichi said as he turned to Suga's bag and zipped it up once more, looking to the cat as he got to his feet and pulled his own grey duffle onto his shoulder.

"We should probably leave your stuff here, my Mom might think it's weird if you're not with me. I'll hang onto your phone though, let's get going."

After ushering the last few guys from of the clubroom, Suga trotted outside, tail in the air like a flag and waited for Daichi to lock the door behind them. Taking the steps carefully, the boy turned cat quickly found himself on the ground and did a couple small circles.

"This is so weird, I feel so light and springy. I bet I could outrun all of you now."

"And you only had to transform into a cat to manage it." Daichi teased, him and Asahi stepping onto the ground beside him heading to the sidewalk they took to and from school every day.

As they walked through the school grounds on their way to their usual route, their red headed underclassman parted ways with them and waved as he jogged off to catch up with Kageyama by the bike rack.

"See you tomorrow! Good luck Suga-san!"

"Thanks, Hinata. Get home safe."

"I will!"

Managing to keep pace, the third-year setter ran through the space between Asahi and Daichi so that he could lead, looking back at them as he spoke.

"So you think this cat thing will wear off by tomorrow? I don't know how long I can convince my Mom I'm staying at your house without at least going home for a change of clothes… And I really don't want to be litter trained." He sulked.

Daichi snickered under his breath but shrugged his shoulders.

"We're just going to have to take it one day at a time. We don't know anything about this 'blessing' or whatever it is, so we'll have to be patient."

"More like a curse… Who would want to be turned into a cat?"

"At least you turned into a good-looking cat, your fur is a nice color." Asahi smiled genuinely, trying to cheer up his friend.

Sugawara sighed, appreciating the effort but still frustrated.

"Thanks, I guess it's better than being hairless."

Crossing his arms, Daichi donned his Captain's voice.

"Suga, did you swap personalities with Asahi too? What's with this sulky pessimistic attitude?"

Shoulders drooping, the Ace frowned at his teammate.

"Hey…"

Ignoring Asahi's disapproval, Daichi continued.

"I'll bet you change back before we know it, there's no use brooding until then."

Suga was reluctant to see the logic behind the brunette's words but in the end, he agreed.

"You're right Daichi, I'll cheer up!" He said with a determined nod, turning to face forward once more and then freezing in his tracks.

Looking down confused, the Captain adjusted his bag strap to hike it further up his shoulder.

"Why'd you stop?"

Just then, a woman yelped, and the sound of barking rang through the air.

"Nori! Come back! Nori!"

Black and white, a medium sized dog had spotted Suga and yanked free of its owner, leash trailing behind it, and eyes trained on the grey and cream cat. Tail fluffing up to twice its size, the setter was tackled by the other animal before he could pull himself together, letting out a cat's cry as his left arm felt the nip of teeth.

"Suga!"

Fighting to get free, he instinctively lashed out with sharp claws and scratched the dog's nose, earning a yelp and a moments reprieve. Managing to squeeze out from under the dog, he lunged to safety and took off with everything in him, pushing his short but agile legs to get him as far away as possible.

Suga ran with terror as his motivation, not paying attention to where he was going, just the sound of paws hitting the ground behind him, a bark trailing too close for comfort. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw the dog was hot on his heels, yapping and eager to catch him once more. Panic flooded him with adrenaline, but as he turned back around to look for somewhere to hide, he found himself needing to hurdle a low brick barrier. Jumping just in time to avoid crashing into it, Suga cleared the short wall landing right in the center of one of the court yards Koi ponds.

Water splashed over the sides of the man-made pond, fish fleeing to the corners as Suga sunk beneath the surface and then emerged gasping and flailing. The barking that had him sprinting for his life was now completely forgotten as he tried to stay above the water, Lily pads tangling in his legs as he scrambled to reach the brick barrier he'd jumped over.

"I've got you!"

Grabbed by the scruff at his neck, Suga was hauled out of the pond, and clutched to someone's chest as he registered barking once more.

"Suga, are you alright?!"

Trembling from cold and fear, the traumatized third year clutched the white shirt beneath his paws and buried his soaking wet head under the scruffy chin above him.

"Nice grab, Asahi. Hey, stop pulling, bad dog. Sit."

Daichi worked to get the black and white dog under control as he held its leash, tugging it back every time it lunged to get at Suga who was securely held in the larger third year's arms. It wasn't long before the owner of the dog showed up, and then she was apologizing profusely. Bowing deeply, she quickly took the leash back and drug away the barking dog, scolding it in a whisper.

Going to check on his friend, Daichi approached Asahi and took in the dripping cat's soaked form, noting how their Ace's shirt was now completely drenched.

"Are you okay, Suga? We nearly had a heart attack when we saw you jump into the pond."

Peeking at Daichi, Suga continued to shake as he spoke.

"I'm okay I think… That dog bit my arm-…Leg? Whatever it is. I don't think it's broken, but it hurts." He mumbled.

Coming closer, Daichi began trying to unhook Suga's claws from Asahi, the taller boy lifting his chin so that the captain could see better.

"Let me see… You've got to let go of his shirt."

Unwillingly, Suga retracted his claws and then felt a bit of guilt as Asahi let out a sigh. He must have been poking him without realizing it.

"Sorry, Asahi…"

The large boy did not sound at all mad, accepting his apology with a light smile.

"It's okay, it's not your fault."

Letting Daichi take his paw, Suga offered the one that hurt and watched as the brunette gently squeezed up his leg that looked rather scrawny now that it was wet. When he got to the middle, the setter tensed and pulled his limb away.

Frowning, Daichi rubbed his chin but then gave his diagnosis.

"I'm not a veterinarian, but I think it just might be bruised or strained. We'll carry you to my house so you don't have to walk, are you cold?"

Feeling miserable, Suga nodded his head.

"I know it's hot out, but I'm freezing now."

Thinking for a second, Daichi dropped his bag from his shoulder and stooped to unzip it. Pulling out his volleyball jacket, he got to his feet again and held it up.

"Here, I'll wrap you in this. It should keep you warm until you dry off some."

Suga's ears flattened in guilt.

"Yeah but then it's going to smell like a koi pond, Daichi… I don't want you to ruin your jacket."

"It can be washed, don't worry about it. This will work, come here."

Tucking the black zip up around Suga's shivering body, Daichi took the cat from Asahi's arms and wrapped him up, tucking him against his chest for safe keeping.

"There, how's that?"

Looking up at Daichi with big hazel brown eyes, Suga blinked.

"I feel like a cat burrito. A soggy one at that."

Unable to help themselves, the two other third years laughed.


	4. Stray

Finally able to continue their trek home, the three made their way back to toward the sidewalk with the scorching sun warming their heads and shoulders, Suga bobbing with sleep. About halfway to Daichi's house, they reached the place the three of them usually parted and waved to Asahi as he turned to cross the street to a different sidewalk, the Captain continuing straight.

It was another five minutes to the Sawamura residence, and a peaceful silence fell between the two as they walked, mostly due to Suga's inability to keep his eyes open. Daichi's steady footsteps lulled Suga to sleep while the sun and his friend's body heat made him far too comfortable, the brunette not minding and allowing him to rest. Soon the relaxing trip home came to an end for the sleepy setter, and even the captain felt a little guilty as they arrived, needing to set him down.

Toeing off his shoes at the door as he stepped inside, Daichi gently unwrapped Suga and set him on the mat.

"Will you be okay here for a minute? I've got to grab a towel and let my parents know I brought a cat home."

Suga shivered, looking more like a drowned rat than a fluffy long-haired cat as he hunched low to the ground and looked up at Daichi.

"I'll be alright, take your time. I'll wait here."

Smiling sympathetically at his friend, Daichi hiked his bag up on his shoulder once more and folded his damp jacket over his arm.

"They're usually upstairs, I'll run and talk to them then be right down. I'll make it quick." He promised, turning to pad up the steps in search of his parents.

Suga had been to Daichi's house many times before, but it was very strange to view it in a much smaller body. Not unlike the chestnut-haired boy, the home leaned on the more simplistic side, holding a comfortable warmth. It was a traditional Japanese style, beige tatami floors and chocolate colored wood, a low table sitting in the family room with simple patterned pillows surrounding it. Paper screens decorated with watercolor herons separated one room from another, and a scent comparable to aged pages in a book was always present. The home was cozy like a library, and just as peaceful. Usually.

Suga was patiently waiting by the door where his friend had left him, but startled violently as a shriek rang out, turning to find Daichi's mother in the doorway of the kitchen.

"A cat! How did you get in my house, shoo, shoo! Get out you dirty animal!"

The two of them hadn't discussed that he shouldn't speak in front of Daichi's family, but he was certain that was the plan without having to ask, how would they begin to explain things otherwise? Suga tried to keep this in mind as the woman grabbed a broom and began to whack him with it, but let out a cat's hiss by mistake when the bristles smacked him roughly on the head. Trying to back up and bumping into the door, Suga flinched as Daichi's mom continued the assault, only vaguely hearing his friend call out as the wood gave way behind him, quickly swatted down the front steps.

"And stay out!"

"Mom, wait! Mom!"

As the door to the house slammed shut, the frazzled setter rolled to his feet, and quickly limped to the bushes to hide from his friend's Mother, cautious eyes narrowed into thin slits as he curled around himself and hid.

From inside the house, Suga could hear a muffled conversation, and then the door was opening once more, making him shrink further into the shadows.

"It's not a stray Mom, it's Suga's cat. He asked me to watch him while he was out of town."

Looking around, Daichi only took a moment to spot his friend in his hiding place, and squatted down to reach for him. Ducking further under the bush, Suga flattened his ears and hissed at the hands that came near, feeling guilty for making such a noise at his friend, but fearful of anymore attacks. Daichi pulled his hand back quickly, but then dropping onto his knees, peeked beneath the leaves at his friend.

"Hey… It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you, Suga. You know that." He soothed, slowly reaching out once more and rubbing a finger against the matted down fur on Suga's cheek.

Reluctant at first, the weary setter allowed the contact, and then leaned into the comforting touch.

"That's right, you can trust me. Let's get you out of that bush…"

Coming to Daichi slowly, Suga kept his ears flat as his fellow third year picked him up, crawling up his chest and pressing his head beneath the captain's chin to make himself feel more protected.

"I've got a plan, just bear with me for a few minutes." Daichi whispered, heading back up the stairs and into the house.

From under his teammates chin, Suga eyed the woman who still gripped a broom and was also staring him down.

"Koushi's cat you said? I didn't know he had any pets, he's never mentioned one before. He asked you to watch this filthy animal?" She asked, sounding very unsure.

"Yeah, he forgot to ask me yesterday, so I didn't have the chance to warn you and Dad. A dog chased him into a pond on the way home, that's why he's all wet."

Seeming to believe her son, Daichi's Mother set her broom aside and donned a more sympathetic expression.

"Oh, chased by a dog? Poor dear, and then I hit you with a broom, you must be terrified." She said, coming closer to get a better look and tilting her head to the side to look into his now wide eyes.

"Wow, what beautiful eyes… What's his name, Daichi?"

Stiffening just slightly, the Captain only paused for a moment before answering his Mother.

"Oh- uh, it's Button. You know, since he's so cute." He chuckled lightly.

Suga would get him back for that.

Daichi's Mother giggled a soft laugh, extending a finger and lightly stroking at Suga's shoulder.

"What a cute name, definitely something Koshi would pick. How long will he be staying?"

The brunette opened his mouth to respond, but just as he did, his 13-year-old sister appeared at the top of the steps and gasped in surprise.

"You've got a cat? Is it yours Nii-san? Where did you get it?"

"It's Suga's cat, I'm watching him until he gets home from an unexpected trip. It could be a couple days." He said, both answering his Mother and sister.

Feeling more confident Daichi's Mom wasn't about to beat him with something again, Sugawara began to purr lightly, nudging into the girl's hand as she held it out for him to sniff. He liked his friend's family after all, Kokoro was always sweet and well mannered when he came over.

"Look at him Mom, he's as cute as Suga-san. Don't you dare tell him I said that either." She flushed, giving Daichi a stern eye.

Daichi returned the glare with a big brother's snicker.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he already knows about your crush on him, Kokoro. Cats out of the bag."

"Nii-san! You didn't say anything to him, did you?"

"Didn't have to." Daichi grinned, letting out a little yelp and a laugh as Suga nipped his arm.

"I don't think Button likes when I tease you." He mused.

Scratching under the cat's chin, Kokoro smiled affectionately.

"Serves you right. Such a good kitty..."

"A good smelly kitty. Honey, you've got to bathe him if he's staying for a couple days, he smells like a swamp." Daichi's Mom admitted, waving a hand in front of her nose.

"I'll help." Kokoro offered, reaching out to tug Suga from Daichi's arms and wrapping him in her embrace.

Daichi made a startled noise as his friend was stolen from him, giving the wide-eyed cat an apologetic smile as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, but be careful with him Kokoro. A dog bit his front leg on the way home, I think he's a little sore."

Taking in a soft breath, the girl hugged Suga to him a little tighter.

"How could you let a dog bite Suga-san's pet? Poor kitty, a toddler could take better care of you." She scolded her brother, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on the setter's head.

Sugawara would certainly be red faced if it were possible, but as it was, the cat just stared his friend down telling him to 'do something!' with his eyes. Not seeing a way out of the situation, the brunette simply shrugged with a grin as he followed his sister up the stairs. He was going to punch Daichi when he turned back into a human, he wasn't to hold back either.


	5. Bath Time

Resigning himself to his fate, the silver haired setter remained tense in the girl's arms, not enjoying this situation at all. This was not how he'd expected his day to go. Daichi and him were going to surprise the rest of the guys with ice cream after their hard work in the scorching gym, but instead he was about to be bathed by his best friend and his little sister? Even if he was a cat, it was humiliating!

On the way to the bathroom, Kokoro passed by their younger brother's room and popped her head in.

"Look Yasu, Nii-san has Suga-san's cat for a couple days. Isn't he cute?"

Turning away from the video game he was playing, the brown-haired boy that looked strikingly similar to Daichi, peeled back a headphone and stared at them.

"It looks like it's sick, what's wrong with it?"

Suga made a choked noise, almost exclaiming a rebuttal and then remembering he was supposed to be a cat. Flattening his ears, he ducked his head and glared at Daichi miserably, watching as the captain Covered his mouth and worked hard to stifle his laughter. Even his sister shook her head, giving him an admonishing look as she hugged Suga.

"You're both dumb, there's nothing wrong with him, he just needs a bath. Nii-San has been a horrible caretaker, poor Button deserves better." Kokoro declared, turning from her brother's bedroom and continuing down the hall as Yasu called lazily after her.

"Oi, what did I do?"

"You insulted precious Suga-san's cat." Daichi snickered, following after Kokoro to make sure she didn't completely traumatize his teammate.

Entering the decent sized bathroom, Daichi leaned over the side of the white tub and put the stopper in the drain before turning on the water, bringing it to a warm but not too hot temperature.

"Alright, give him here." Daichi said, reaching out for the cat and then frowning as the girl pulled away from him.

"Come on Kokoro, he's had a hard day, let's just get this done so we can eat lunch."

Jutting her chin out slightly, Daichi's sister handed Suga over but lingered by his side.

"Fine, but be gentle with him."

"I will." Daichi assured, kneeling beside the tub and giving his sulking friend a reassuring smile.

Lowering the reluctant cat, Suga began to squirm as the brunette set him into the filling tub, his mind instantly going to panic mode. Although this water was warmer, the setter was overcome with fear as he remembered falling into the Koi pond, the urge to scramble to safety taking over.

Not proud of the pathetic meow he let out, Suga sunk his claws into Daichi's arms and refused to let go as he began to tremble. He didn't like this, he wanted out!

"Ouch, Suga- Er, Button. That hurts, calm down."

"He's scared Nii-san. I bet he thinks you're going to let him drown." Kokoro speculated, kneeling beside her brother and taking down the shower head to begin carefully soaking the flustered cat.

Letting out a broken noise that almost sounded like 'Daichi' Suga began to struggle to get free, digging his nails into his friend and accidentally scratching him as he tried to scale the side of the tub.

"Ouch- Stop that, you're making this harder than it needs to be. Stay still."

Easy to say for someone who wasn't being held down by a giant pair of hands. Sugawara was aware they belonged to his friend and therefore should be able to trust him, but it was more instinctual to try and flee. He wanted to speak so badly, to beg Daichi to let him be with human words instead of distressed meows, but couldn't with Kokoro there. Hiding in a trashcan behind the gym was beginning to look better by the second.

Suga really tried to calm down, but his heart was hammering so hard in his chest he thought he might die of a heart attack. He settled for gripping onto Daichi's thick arms, knowing he was probably leaving marks but figuring it wasn't too bad since the captain allowed it… Even if his face was screwed up in a painful expression.

Speaking through gritted teeth, Daichi nodded his head toward his shampoo.

"Alright, I think he's wet enough Kokoro. Grab my shampoo and suds him up, I'm turning into a pin cushion over here."

"What, your shampoo?"

"Well it's not like I have cat soap, it should be fine, just use it."

Setting the sprayer aside, the girl made a thoughtful noise and instead reached for a pink and green bottle covered in strawberries.

"Let's use mine, it'll make his hair soft."

Shaking his head exasperated, Daichi glimpsed down to Suga still trembling in the water, eyes boring into his, then back to his sister.

"He's a boy, Kokoro. I don't think he wants to smell like a strawberry, use mine."

"He's a cat, he won't care what he smells like. I bet Suga-san will love it."

Before Daichi could further argue, Kokoro squeezed a stripe of strawberry scented shampoo from head to tail and began gently massaging it into Suga's fur. The older brother let out a sigh as he stared down at his friend apologetically, sure he'd get an earful when it was just the two of them and Suga could do more than meow.

Gripping the Captain's arms tight as Kokoro lathered up his grey and cream fur, Suga's nostrils were soon filled with the overwhelming scent of strawberries. In truth, he didn't mind the fruit, but that didn't exactly mean he wanted to smell like one. Doing his best to be still as his ears and neck were scrubbed, the setter began to stiffen as the girl scrubbed down his back, then stomach, moving on to his tail and then-

Letting out a startled yelp, Suga suddenly lunged with renewed strength, clawing his way up Daichi's stomach and chest to grab onto his shoulder for dear life, hooking his claws in to hold on tight.

"AH- OUCH, SUGA-!"

Now dripping with sudsy bubbles, Daichi winced at the scratches he could feel running the length of his torso and forearms, looking to his sister incredulous as he grabbed onto the cat to prevent further clawing.

"What did you do to him- Ouch- Let go Suga, er Button… Come on, have mercy, I'm bleeding."

Staring wide eyed at the cat who'd jumped from the tub, Kokoro tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"All I did was wash between his legs, why do you keep calling him Suga, Nii-san?"

Struggling with detaching his setter's claws from his flesh, Daichi muttered a curse under his breath as he then understood the other boy's actions. By the end of this stupid curse, one of them would be traumatized, probably both. Light flush coating his own cheeks, the captain directed his attention to his sister's question.

"Have I been? I didn't notice… Listen Kokoro, he should be clean enough, I'll finish up. I think it's just too many hands and it's freaking him out, why don't you see if Mom needs help with lunch?"

The young girl's shoulders drooped with disappointment as she huffed a sigh, but she didn't argue.

"Fine, but I want to hold him when your done… You should shower too, you smell like a gym bag." She said, getting to her feet.

Laughing lightly, Daichi grinned.

"Well we won't get to nationals if we don't break a sweat at practice, you can't expect me to smell like roses. I'll shower after I rinse Button, shut the door behind you, please."

"You're so intense all the time, Nii-san. How does your team put up with it?"

Daichi chuckled.

"They want to win just as much."

"If you say so."

With that, Kokoro left the bathroom and tugged the door closed behind her. Daichi waited a few seconds for his sister to be out of ear shot, and then whispered to Suga as he pried him from his shoulder.

"Hey, sorry about uh… er… You know. Let me just rinse the shampoo out of your fur and I'll get you a towel, is that okay?"

Ears laying flat against his head, Suga glared dully at his best friend.

"I'm going to punch you when I can make a fist again. You know that, right?"

Unable to help his snort, Daichi gave a nod.

"Yeah, that's fair."


	6. Sorry Not Sorry

Setting Suga back into the tub, Daichi got the sprayer once more and used one hand to grip the still trembling cat beneath his chest. Looking up at his friend, the setter spoke wearily.

"Please don't drown me…"

"I won't, promise. Just stay still, I don't know if I'll have enough bandages to cover anymore scratches." He murmured, causing Suga to huff unsympathetically.

"Serves you right, letting your little sister bathe me!" He snapped, but then ducked his head a little.

"I didn't mean to make you bleed though… Sorry."

Daichi chuckled softly as he began to rinse the soap from his fur with care.

"No, you're right. I deserved it."

"Yeah… You kinda did."

Managing to finish Suga's bath without further traumatizing either of them, Daichi left his friend in the tub as he fetched a large white towel from the bathroom shelf and carried it over.

"Alright, come here."

Wading through the shoulder high water as if it were a mud filled bog, Suga gingerly stepped to the side of the tub and propped his front feet up on the edge where Daichi reached down with the towel and scooped him up. Swaddling him nice and snug, the captain used the edge of the cloth to carefully rub at Suga's head, drying his ears and dabbing water droplets out of his eyes. Smiling as he did his best to dry the rest of his friend, Daichi snickered.

"You look like a drowned rat."

"I feel like one too." Suga said, baleful.

"Don't let anyone else take me, Daichi. I feel like a creep hearing conversation I shouldn't, your sister is sweet, she doesn't deserve that."

Nodding his head, the brunette set the bundle of shivering cat on the closed toilet lid so that he could get ready for his own shower. Turning to pull the plug in the drain and rinse out the tub, Daichi looked back over his shoulder with an apologetic expression.

"Again, sorry about that… I didn't expect her to just grab you, but I'll be more careful. Are you okay to sit there while I shower? Warm enough?" He asked, tugging his shirt off as he stood and then grimacing at the claw marks that ran the length of his body, stretching from his left shoulder to his navel.

Hunching down in his towel, Suga looked on extraordinarily guilty.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I did that to you, I'm so sorry!"

Daichi waved off his fretting as he examined the damage in the mirror. With the long crimson scratches standing out against his tan skin, it looked like he'd been attacked by a baby tiger.

"It's fine Suga, I'm sure it won't look so bad after I rinse off. I'll shower and then we can get something to eat, sound good?"

Still feeling horrible, Suga nodded his head and buried himself up to his nose in the towel.

"That's fine… I'm sorry…" He mumbled again, making Daichi laugh softly as he continued to undress.

"Stop apologizing, I'm not mad."

"Sorry…" He muttered again.

Exhausted from the horrible day he'd been having coupled with a cat's excessive need to sleep, Suga's eyes fell shut. Listening to the sound of the shower turning on, the third-year setter quickly drifted to sleep as his friend disappeared behind the bath curtain, not even noticing as Daichi hissed at the sting of water hitting his scratched up chest.

Being careful to not irritate his wounds, the captain Soaped up his body, washed his hair, and rinsed off. In no time at all, he was stepping out of the tub and grabbing a towel to dry his hair before wrapping it securely around his waist and turning to Suga.

"All done, ready?"

Not even an ear twitched at Daichi's question, the cat completely gone to the world and making the captain smile softly. Not bothering to wake him, Daichi carefully picked up the warm bundle and cradled it against him as he made his way to the door and let himself out. As he was crossing the hall to his bedroom, his Mother appeared out of Yasu's room and smiled.

"I see you're both clean. Kokoro said you got scratched, are you alright?"

Smiling an easy smile back at her, he nodded.

"I'll be fine, is lunch ready? I'm starving." He admitted, stomach growling as if to make his point as Suga stirred in his arms.

Laughing as she shook her head in affection, she placed her hands on her hips.

"Nearly, it should be finished soon. I can see poor Button shivering from here, why don't I loan you my blow dryer and by the time he's dry, the food should be done too."

Looking down at the cat who huddled down in the towel he was wrapped in, Daichi made a contemplative noise and then nodded.

"Sure, we'll give it a try. Thanks Mom."

Giving him a smile that looked very similar to the soft one he always wore, his mother gently placed a hand on his damp hair to kiss his forehead as she walked by, disappearing into her own room as Daichi then went to his.

Setting his friend on the bed carefully, the brunette disappeared into his closet and looked for something cool to wear. He hadn't the slightest clue how Suga could be cold considering his house didn't have air conditioning, and the entire home felt like an oven until the sun went down and the fan in his window drug in the cool night breeze. Settling on a red work out tank and a pair of black shorts, Daichi grabbed boxer briefs and emerged from his closet as his Mother came in with the hair dryer.

Setting it on the bed beside Suga, she reached down to rub his head with her index finger.

"Koshi didn't bring you a litter box or food? That doesn't seem like him, he's usually so organized. Where was he going in such a rush?"

Thinking on his feet, the captain said the first thing that came to mind.

"Oh uh- He completely forgot he volunteered to help tutor some elementary kids at a summer camp, and his parents don't like looking after Button… He's an indoor-outdoor cat, so uh… I guess he does his business outside." Daichi said, feeling a little guilty for lying to his Mom, but not knowing what else he could do.

Humming to herself, she nodded.

"What a sweet boy, no wonder you talk about him so much, he's got a good head on his shoulders and a wonderful personality."

Daichi flushed, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"I don't talk about him that much, he's one of my best friends, so of course he comes up in conversation."

Daichi's Mom snickered.

"Oh yes you do. Mom, Suga gave me the perfect set today. Hey, I'm going to school early to meet up with Suga. Suga and I are going to talk strategies after practice today, don't wait up. Mom you should have seen Suga, he fell asleep on the bus ride home today, I swear he's the only guy who can still look good with drool dripping from his chin-"

"I did not say that last one!" Daichi interrupted, face aflame and eyes darting to the sleeping cat to see if he'd heard. An ear twitched, and the brunette was sure he had.

Letting out a lighthearted laugh, his Mother walked by and patted him on the shoulder.

"Maybe it wasn't those exact words, but I'm sure I was close. I'll I'm saying is Asahi is one of your close friends too, and I don't hear nearly as much about him."

Lips screwed up in discontentment, Daichi just glared halfhearted at his Mom.

"…Not true." He muttered, making her laugh again as she made her way to the door.

"Alright, whatever you say. Lunch will be done in ten."

Pulling the door closed behind her, the room was quiet for a full minute before an amused voice spoke up behind him.

"Have a crush on me, do you, Sawamura?"

Groaning as he grabbed his tank and pulled it roughly down over his head, Daichi answered without turning.

"You wish."


	7. Soft

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience guys! Hope you enjoy another chapter!

Much like the rest of Daichi's house, the captain's room was a neat and comfortable space, a low futon in the corner, a soft grey rug in the center of the floor. Below the window that stretched the expanse of one wall was a very plain and organized desk that him and Suga often sat at for not only volleyball strategizing, but study sessions as well. The silver haired setter had teased his friend more than once about the lack of personality, to which Daichi shrugged and insisted he had no need for trinkets and clutter, he found it easier to focus when things were simple and in their place. The only thing that kept someone from mistaking his bedroom for the guest room were two framed photos on the stand beside his bed, and a volleyball next to the door.

Looking at them as Daichi finished dressing and toweling off his hair, Suga couldn't help but give a cat's grin at the younger versions of themselves. In one frame was a photo from their first year, the whole club gathered for the team picture, the other their second year. Both pictures were a birthday gift from Suga, the third currently in the works as the setter quietly collected signatures from his teammates, wishing to commemorate their final year with Karasuno.

Pulling the damp towel from his head as he finished roughing up his short brown hair, Daichi draped it over his desk chair and then went to his bed to collect the blow dryer. Looking up, with doubt clear in his eyes, Sugawara hummed suspiciously.

"Have you ever even used a blow dryer?"

"I'm a guy, what reason would I have to use a blow dryer?" Daichi deadpanned.

"I've used one!" Suga huffed, looking to the side as he muttered.

"I guess you don't have to worry about that sort of thing when you cut all your hair off…"

Brow raising, Daichi put a hand to his ear and leaned closer.

"What's that? I didn't catch what you said over the sound of all your complaining."

Sticking his little tongue out, the soggy cat made his way over to the captain's pillow and walked all over it.

"This feels pretty soft, maybe I'll take a nap here and make it nice and damp."

Laughing, Daichi reached out a hand and scooped his friend up before he could get comfortable.

"Oh no you don't, I don't need my pillow to smell like cheap strawberry shampoo."

Swatting the brunette's cheek angrily as he chuckled, Suga yelled at him in a hushed voice.

"You're awful! The absolute worst!"

Trying to stifle his snickering, Daichi carried him to the rug in the center of the room.

"Considering Noya was your other option, I'd say I'm not that bad."

Sugawara's once fluffy tail whipped back and forth irritably as the captain set him down and grabbed a comb off his desk.

"You wait, Daichi. If you turn into a cat, I'm letting Hinata take you home for his little sister to play with, you won't get any sympathy from me."

Grinning at the setter, Daichi plugged the hair dryer in and took a seat on the rug with Suga.

"No you wouldn't. You'd take care of me too."

Giving the captain a sulking glare, he turned his nose away unable to contradict what they both knew was true.

"I'd do a far better job."

Daichi chuckled.

"That's probably true. Your more suited to the caretaker role, I just keep them alive."

"I wouldn't even go that far, I've been bitten by a dog, almost drowned, and beat with a broom, how exactly are you keeping me alive?" Suga retorted, limping his way over and inviting himself to sit in his friend's lap.

Scratching at the back of his neck as he allowed the setter to make himself comfortable, Daichi's brows pulled together in guilt.

"Well, you're not dead, are you?"

"Wow, you're a horrible pet owner." Suga laughed, shaking his head.

"You're never allowed to acquire an animal, not even a goldfish."

Scoffing, Daichi sighed a tired noise, eyeing up the blow dryer and contemplating which button to press.

"No problem there, I've already got a flock of crows and they're more than enough to look after."

Suga had to snicker at that, he might be a poor pet owner, but Daichi certainly was an adept Captain. From dealing with Tanaka's need to pick fights and Tsukki's attitude, to Asahi's attempts to flee and Noya's incomparable energy, the brunette truly had his hands full.

Deciding to press the large red button on the handle, Daichi turned on the blow dryer and aimed it at Suga. Letting out a shiver, the grey and cream cat hunched down in the middle of his friend's crossed legs and squinted as his damp fur blew about. At first it felt kind of good, the air comforting as it warmed his bones, but as Daichi kept it pointed at one spot on his back, it quickly turned hot. Biting the calf closest to him, the captain yelped and turned the dryer another direction.

"What was that for?!"

"You were burning me! Don't hold it so close and move it back and forth, are you trying to catch me on fire?"

Daichi grumbled exasperated but complied with Suga's requests and held it further away as he waved it up and down the cat.

"You wouldn't catch on fire, drama queen…"

"Says the guy whose never used a blow dryer."

Rolling his eyes, the captain picked up the black comb he'd retrieved and began brushing gently as he worked to dry his friend. Every once in a while, Daichi would hit a snag and Suga would grunt a pained noise to voice his discomfort. Slowly the silver haired setter grew fluffy once more, and Daichi had to admit his little sister was right, Suga's fur was ridiculously soft and feathery after being washed with her shampoo. It made him wonder, would his hair remain so soft when he returned to his human form? He'd have to test the theory.

When the top of Suga was dry, the brunette tapped the cat with the comb gently.

"Roll ever, let me get your belly."

"I'm not a dog, don't just tell me to roll over." Suga pouted to which Daichi snorted softly.

"You're right, you're a cat. Come on, don't give me a hard time."

Scowling halfhearted at the other teen, Suga was reluctant, but did as he was told, gingerly rolling to his back on top of Daichi's legs.

"What are you, my Dad?"

"Dad, captain, sometimes I'm not sure there's much of a difference with you guys. Especially with Noya, Tanaka, Kageyama, and Hinata. If I get grey hair this year, it'll be their fault."

Beginning to dry the peachy cream fur on his stomach, Daichi shook his head with a sigh as Suga sniggered.

"Maybe you need some parenting lessons to get your kids under control."

"More like I need my vice-captain to back me up more often, how's anyone supposed to take me seriously if you're behind me encouraging them?"

"And let you scare everyone off? No way, I'm good cop, you're bad cop. We can't change up our dynamic now, it'd throw everyone off!" Suga insisted, making Daichi's brows pinch together in an exasperated way, a small wrinkle forming above the bridge of his nose.

"I don't want to be bad cop, that means I'm the asshole."

Suga gave his usual lighthearted laugh, eyes twinkling as he smiled amused.

"Don't think of it like that, Daichi, you're more like… Well, a Dad. They all look up to you and respect you, but also fear your wrath. It's a good thing, it prevents them from doing anything too stupid."

"And you?"

"Me?"

Daichi raised a brow unimpressed.

"You don't fear my wrath?"

Laughing again, Suga wiggled innocently on his back as he looked up at his friend.

"Oh, I know better than to fear someone who sleeps with a little stuffed bear under his pillow."

Flushing lightly, it was the captain's turn to scowl, nostrils flaring as his face scrunched.

"Mr.Stuffy was a gift from my Gran, leave him out of this, you imp."

Grinning a Cheshire cat's smile, Suga enjoyed his friend's embarrassment.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing, I think it's kind of cute. Big strong Daichi has a soft side too."

Rolling his eyes, the brunette grunted in response.

"You're one to talk, I'm not the guy who got caught singing Barbie Girl in the locker room showers. Not to mention your comforter has flowers all over it, who's the soft one?"

Laughter cutting off, Suga pulled himself into a sitting position as he pawed angrily at Daichi's leg.

"You said you wouldn't tell anyone about that! And they're not flowers, they're succulents! If you opened your horticulture textbook occasionally, maybe you'd be able to tell the difference." Suga snapped, glaring at the captain who had his eyes narrowed at him in return.

For a moment, the only sound was the blow dryer, the two of them in a stare down challenge until… In unison, they burst into laughter.

Flopping down onto Daichi's legs, Suga's small body shook with his laughter as the other third year's head fell back, thumbing the button on the dryer to shut it off as he did so. Even pretending to be upset with each other felt so out of character, it was obvious neither of them could ever speak poorly of the other, they were best friends.

As the two tried to stifle their laughter, Daichi's Mother could be heard calling up the stairs.

"Daichi, lunch is ready! Come down and eat. Bring Button, Kokoro got him some food."

Quickly looking to the captain, Suga looked concerned.

"Think there's any chance it's spicy curry or meat buns from Sakanoshita's?" He asked doubtfully.

Daichi shook his head with an apologetic smile, reaching out to pet his friend to comfort him.

"Afraid not buddy."


	8. Lunch Time

Now that their attention had been brought to it, Suga could smell the enticing scent of lunch drifting into the room from beneath the crack under the door and felt his stomach clench with hunger. It was horribly unfair, Daichi's Mother was a fantastic cook, he wanted what they would be having, not whatever cat food Kokoro had procured from the convenience store down the road.

Sighing sadly, Suga's ears fell flat as he waited for the brunette to unplug the blow dryer and wrap up the cord. How long would this stupid curse last? Spirits sinking as he grew glum, the setter looked up to Daichi as he went to the door and turned back to ask him if he was ready.

Lifting his front paw as he sulked over to the other teen, Suga peered up at him pathetically.

"Carry me, my arm hurts."

Hands shifting to his hips, Daichi smiled but gave his friend tough love.

"You didn't seem to have any problems walking all over my pillow, I think you'll make it."

"Daichiii, don't be so cruel." Suga whined, deflating and looking the picture of a sad wounded animal.

"I'm suffering, the least you could do is save me from having to hobble down the steps… But I guess I could manage..."

Exaggerating his limp as he slowly made his way to the door, the captain found he couldn't resist the setter's act, even if he knew it was mostly for show. He was pouting, but what did it really harm if he gave into such manipulation sometimes?

That exact thought was probably the same reason Suga managed to coerce him into a thousand other things.

Giving a hint of a grin, Daichi caved and bent to scoop up the now soft and fluffy cat, shifting him into one arm and tugging open the door.

"You're going to get fat if you keep making me carry you everywhere." The brunette warned, making his way down the hall toward the steps.

Letting out a wide mouth yawn, Suga settled himself in Daichi's grip and blinked lazily, pleased with himself.

"My Dad always says I'm too skinny anyway."

Not bothering to respond to his devious friend, Daichi padded down the creaking steps and made his way into the hot kitchen, tugging at his shirt collar in an attempt to cool himself.

"There you are Nii-san, I got Button some cans of wet food, do you think he's hungry?"

"Uh…"

Looking down to Suga and seeing his ears flatten, Daichi shrugged.

"Not sure, I think Suga mentioned something about him being a picky cat, I don't know what kind of food he'll eat."

Eyes turning large and disappointed, Kokoro's shoulders dropped.

"Oh… You think he won't like it? I picked him out the best ones I could find, this one is tuna and this one is chicken with gravy. We can at least try and give it to him…Right?"

Guilt setting in, the cream and grey cat looked up to the brunette with dread in his eyes, knowing he couldn't break his best friend's little sister's heart. Damn it, he was about to eat cat food.

Leaving the choice up to Suga, Daichi set his friend on the floor.

"Sure, we can try. Don't get too upset if he doesn't want it though, I warned you."

"I hope he does, she insisted on using her own money to buy it, silly girl." Daichi's Mother interjected with a humored laugh, shaking her head as she took dishes out of the cabinet.

"Here's a bowl for him, Kokoro."

Daichi winced. He knew Suga and the soft spot he had for not only the guys on their team, but his younger siblings as well. It was a bit odd how easy it was to pull on the setter's heart strings, given he was an only child and had no siblings of his own, but that was just who Sugawara was. He supported everyone as if they were his own, gentle and encouraging, but fierce when you needed a kick in the ass. Why was it Daichi so often experienced the latter?

Eyes chasing the brunette's back as he abandoned Suga to help his Mother set the table, Suga gulped. The sound of a can being opened pulled his attention up to the left, and he saw with dread, the long haired Sawamura eagerly spoon mushy pink something into a small ceramic bowl. Holding back a groan and the urge to flee beneath the couch in the living room, Sugawara curled his fluffy tail about his feet, and appreciated the last shreds of his dignity. Who knew a young girl with warm mahogany eyes, far too similar to Karasuno's captain's, would be his undoing? Daichi likely.

"Button, come here kitty… Look what I've got for you."

Sporting the family's trademark gentle smile, Kokoro crossed the kitchen to where Suga was standing beside the table, and knelt. Placing the dish on the floor before him with enough care to make one think it held something precious, Daichi's younger sister turned her face to the grey haired cat's, and waited with a face full of hope.

The third-year setter found he couldn't look away. She'd gone through the trouble of fetching and paying for food she thought was going to Suga-san's cat, wanting to make sure Button was well taken care of while he was away, since her brother was clearly inept. He cared, he was grateful, he really was! But… He wasn't sure he could get through the task without gagging, would a single bite be enough?

As Suga began to rise to his three feet, still reluctant to stand on his injured one, he suddenly stiffened. What was… That enticing smell? Something familiar, but somehow different coming through the nose of a cat's body. It couldn't be- No, it was.

Approaching the little red dish Kokoro had placed on the floor, Sugawara was confused to find the smell of tuna more luxurious than he could ever remember finding it, his stomach clenching and his body moving of its own accord. Without recalling having ever made the decision, Suga was greedily gobbling up the soft mushy food, disgusted with himself, but unable to stop.

"Oh! He likes it Nii-san, see?"

"Hm? Er-… Look at that." Daichi responded, one brow lifting high as he grimaced, a hand falling to his hip as he looked on disturbed.

The captain had to give it to him, he was far more dedicated to being a good person than he was. The brunette was so entranced by the scene, he couldn't look away as he set plates with fish and sweet dumplings on the table, shaking his head in disbelief as his brother and Father joined them in the kitchen.

Suga could feel Daichi's eyes on him, wanted to pull himself away from his squishy pink meal as he pictured his friend's repulsed expression, but he wasn't in control. This body wanted what was in front of him, and before he knew it, he was finishing up the last bits.

"Are you sure that's a cat and not a pig?" Mr.Sawamura asked, a deep chuckle following the comment and leaving Sugawara mortified.

Licking the remnants from around his mouth and hunching to the floor embarrassed, the setter limped beneath his friend's chair and hid his shame between Daichi's bare feet.

"Don't be mean, Papa, he was probably starving because Nii-san isn't taking good care of him. Poor baby." Kokoro scolded, picking the dish up from the floor as her older brother protested.

"Hey, I'm right here you know."

"Oh, I know."

Letting out an exasperated sigh at his sister's chiding, Daichi gripped the wooden edge of the table and peeked beneath it, checking to make sure Suga didn't have plans to hurl on his feet. It didn't appear as though the cat was going to be sick, but he was hiding his little head beneath two paws. Concerned, Daichi nudged him with his toe, speaking in a soft voice he hoped only Suga would hear.

"You alright?"

Peeking up at the captain miserably, he didn't answer, but turned to leap into his lap. Giving a noise of surprise, Daichi held his hands out of the way while Suga curled into a ball, making himself comfortable and then concealing his face with his tail as he laid down. Blinking confused, the brunette took that as Suga didn't want to talk about it, and left him be.

Gingerly scooting his chair in and careful not to disturb the cat in his lap, Daichi picked up his chopsticks and quickly began devouring his own food.


	9. Video Call

“So are you done sulking yet?”

Daichi lay beneath one of the many old shady oak trees in his back yard, an arm folded beneath his head and one leg crossed over his knee. Plucking a cube of watermelon from a small bowl that sat beside him and dropping it into his mouth, he gazed at the long-haired cat that lay curled up on his chest as he chewed, ears flat as he stewed in whatever emotion had soured his cheery disposition.

Sugawara hadn’t spoken a word through lunch and remained quiet as Daichi’s Mom offered him some crisp cold watermelon he’d decided to enjoy outside. After finding a spot that was much too far out of earshot for any of his family members to overhear him, he’d set his friend in the grass and made himself comfortable. Daichi knew it was pointless to push Suga to talk if he was in a mood, he would only mutter things too difficult for the brunette to catch, if he replied at all. It was best to leave him be until he felt like trying to form his frustrated thoughts into words, because yes, he did have a lot of thoughts on most matters, but he would only share if he wasn’t badgered to. In truth, Daichi didn’t mind hearing Sugawara’s rants, quite the opposite really. He enjoyed the other boy’s thought process, it was different from his own, but he could appreciate the calculated logic and thoughtfulness. 

Daichi knew Suga well after the years they’d spent as friends, so he recognized when the grey and cream cat slunk over to him and climbed onto his chest, that he was upset about something. If it wasn’t for the cool breeze that blew through his greenery filled yard, he’d have to protest against Suga’s furry little body adding to the heat, but lucky for the setter, Daichi was nothing if not kind. 

“I’m not sulking.” Sugawara mumbled, burying his chin further into his tail and huffing out a little breath through his pink nose. 

Eyes crinkling lightly with a soft smile, Daichi licked watermelon from his fingers and reached up to scratch at Suga’s cheek the way Yamaguchi had, earning a reluctant but soft purr.

“Oh? Could have fooled me.” He said, chuckling as he got a light nip to the fingers and smirking when the setter pushed his head back into his hand in a demand for more pets. 

Continuing to sink his fingers into soft grey fur, Daichi gently massaged Suga’s jaw in hopes it would sooth him enough to talk. It was quiet except for the peaceful rustle of the wind through leaves above as the two lay in silence, Daichi waiting for Sugawara to tell him what was on his mind, but content to be patient if that’s what he wanted. 

After a few more minutes, Daichi’s patience was rewarded. Burying his head beneath his paws, and groaning, Sugawara began to mutter his thoughts.

“I couldn’t stop myself Daichi, I couldn’t stop…”

Confused at how the conversation started, the captain’s brow lifted in puzzlement and he paused in his petting.

“I’m sorry, you lost me. Couldn’t stop what?”

Sugawara didn’t seem pleased with the question, scrubbing his little paws over his head aggressively as he moaned. Lips screwing into a concerned expression, Daichi pulled Suga’s paws away from their clawing and encouraged him to elaborate.

“Cut that out. Come on, Koshi, tell me what you’re talking about so we can be on the same page. What couldn’t you stop?”

Continuing to groan, Suga looked up at him meekly.

“The cat food… It wasn’t me, I swear! I mean it was… But something just came over me and- and- Oh god, what if I’m turning even more into a cat? I liked the way it tasted, Daichi, I liked it! I’ve never been that big a fan of tuna, why would I like tuna flavored cat food?”

Blinking surprised, Daichi rolled to his side and pushed Suga into the grass beside him so they could more easily talk. 

“Well, that is weird… But so is turning into a cat in the first place. Maybe it’s normal to crave that sort of thing when you become an animal?” He suggested, concerned about this new revelation, but not wanting the other boy to become even more stressed. 

Trying to see the reason, Suga pulled his feet together and sat hunched, his eyes squinted in worry and his nose twitching nervously.

“What if I don’t turn back? What if I stay like this, what am I going to do? I can’t go to class, how will I keep my grades up? How will I get into a university? No college would accept a cat, I’d belong in a circus, not a classroom teaching kids!”

Sensing a panic attack on the rise, Daichi pushed up on his elbow and shook his head. 

“Calm down, I’m sure you won’t stay like this. We just have to be patient and take it one day at a time.”

Looking up at Daichi with wide worried eyes, Suga stared at him intently.

“How do you know? How can you say I won’t end up in a zoo as the world’s only talking cat, that I won’t have to give up all of my dreams and accept a life of cat food? It’s a hard enough fight to remain a setter for Karasuno with Kageyama around, it’ll be impossible like this-“

“HEY.” Daichi said, sitting up straight and picking up his spiraling friend beneath his arms. 

Holding the cat up in front of him, he stared back at him with a firm but earnest expression, Sugawara looking at him with fretful eyes of his own.

“I said calm down.”

“But Daichi...”

“Shh, enough of that. You’re right, I can’t know how long you’ll be a cat, or even how to turn you back, but I do know you’re not alone. I promise we’ll figure this out, Suga, we’ll get you back to normal. I don’t know how yet, but I won’t give up until we do so neither can you.”

Cream chin trembling, Suga’s hazel eyes bore into Daichi’s steady ones.

“You promise?” 

There was no hesitation as the captain answered.  
“Promise. We’re in this together. Even if it is your fault for ignoring your wise friend’s warnings and interfering with a cat that’s being attacked by a flock of crows.” 

Smiling, Daichi set him back down as the other boy laughed lightly.

“My wise friend is a total buzz kill… But thanks, Daichi. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Suga sighed, curling his tail around himself once more and looking a little less frazzled.

“You’ve had my back for years, no need to thank me.” Daichi assured, a smile pulling up the corners of his mouth as his friend seemed to calm down.

“You’re a great leader, of course I’d have your back.” Suga said with a soft smile of his own, looking to the brunette’s pocket as a buzzing noise began.

Leaning to the side, Daichi reached into his shorts and drew out his phone to look at the screen, eyebrows jumping when he saw who it was.

“Crap! It’s a video call from Kuroo with Nekoma, I told him we could talk volleyball after practice today and I completely forgot. I was going to tell you but then all this happened.” Running a hand back over his head with confliction dancing across his face, Daichi stared down at the image of Nekoma’s captain and bit his lip.

“Go ahead then, answer it! We can trust Kuroo to keep quiet, besides, I know you wanted to ask about that play with Tsukishima, it’s hard to explain through text, just take the call.” Suga encouraged, making up Daichi’s mind as he looked to the setter to make sure he was really okay with it, then tapping on the little green camera icon before it could stop ringing.

A couple seconds lapsed as the screen went to black, and then Kuroo appeared, a silky smirk revealing a glimmer of white teeth.

“There you are Sawamura, thought you were gonna let me down for a second there.”

Grinning easily back, Daichi chuckled.  
“I’ll save that for when we put you in your place on the court.”

“Oh yeah?” Kuroo grinned wolfishly, head falling back as he let out a laugh. “Big words for a team that hasn’t beat us yet. Maybe you should save the smack talk for when you can back it up, eh?”

Scratching the back of his head, Daichi still smiled as he shrugged and then gave a glance down at Suga who’d come to settle himself in the captain’s lap. Turning his attention back to the screen, he tried to gauge Kuroo’s surroundings.

“Yeah, maybe. Anyway, where are you, at home?”

“Hm? Nah, I invaded Kenma’s house, I thought he’d benefit from our little soiree. Not to mention his parents are out late tonight, which means he won’t eat anything for dinner if I don’t make him. Isn’t that right, Kenma?”

Watching as the camera shifted, Kuroo could be seen leaning over on a bed and draping an arm around the pudding haired second year, the latter looking apathetically annoyed at the closeness, but not looking up from his game.

“Get off, Kuroo.”

“Aww, you don’t have to act cool in front of Karasuno chumps, Hinata isn’t even here.”

Not bothering to respond, Kenma turned his head from the screen and continued to focus on his game. Turning his hands to the sky, Kuroo gave a ‘what can you do’ shrug and leaned forward once more. Picking up the laptop, he carried it to a desk Daichi couldn’t see and took a seat, facing the camera so that the entirety of the rather plain room could be seen. 

After getting settled, the spikey haired captain folded his arms behind his head and leaned the chair back on two legs. 

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road. Where’s Suga-chan, didn’t you say it would be the two of you?”

Glancing down at Suga again, Daichi reached up to idly scratch at his nose.

“Yeah… About that…”

Perplexed, Kuroo’s brow pulled up in curiosity.

“Trouble in paradise? What, you two aren’t fighting, are you?”

Daichi shook his head.

“No, nothing like that… Do you think you can keep a secret? It’s kind of… Complicated.”

“Listen, Sawamura, I know teammates can get annoying, but you better not have killed the guy. I really don’t feel like getting dirt on these pants if I have to help you dig a hole, they’re new.”

“That’s you’re only objection to my murder?!”

Standing up on his two back legs and pulling Daichi’s arm down with a paw, Suga glared at Kuroo through the little screen, ears flat in indignation.

Eyes blowing wide, Kuroo tipped back too far on his chair and his arms went pinwheeling as he toppled backward onto the floor. 

“Serves him right…” Suga muttered, to which Daichi shook his head.

“Don’t you think some warning was warranted?”

“You only say that because he’d help you bury my body without question.”

“I would never kill you though, so does it really matter?”

“Easy for you to say.”

On the other end of the call, Kuroo was staggering to his feet and gripping the edge of the desk as he looked into the camera incredulous. 

“Suga-chan?! Are you- You’re a cat.” He said stupefied, turning back to the other boy in the room and pointing at the screen.

“Kenma, Suga-chan is a cat, like an actual cat.”

Eyes turning up from his game for only a moment then growing wide with a disturbed expression, the second year turned his body completely from the screen and shook his head.

“Weird. Don’t involve me.”

Turning his attention back to the screen, Kuroo righted the chair and sat back down, refusing to take his eyes off Suga. Feeling uncomfortable, the silver haired setter returned to his seated position and Daichi shifted the camera so that both of them could be seen.

“Is this a joke or something? How are you doing this?” Kuroo asked skeptically, eyeing the captain and vice-captain as the two exchanged a look between themselves.

“More like a cruel joke…” Suga muttered.

Gripping the back of his neck, Daichi sighed.

“We’ll tell you what happened, but you’ve got to keep all of this to yourself, okay?”

Nodding his head in quick agreement, Kuroo waved his hand impatiently.

“My lips are sealed, spill.”

Looking to one another once more, Suga took a deep breath.

“Well,” he began. “We were at practice when this cat chased by a bunch of crows showed up-“

“Hey hey hey, is that a talking cat?!”

Staring at the large gold eyes that suddenly appeared over Kuroo’s shoulder, Suga went silent. 

Kuroo grimaced looking guilty.

“Oh uh… Bokuto’s here by the way.” 


	10. Prince and the Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for making you guys wait for this update! I really need to get on a better schedule with my stories haha but I think the next chapter will be the last, thanks for getting this far with me, I appreciate all of you! <3

Eyes wide as he took in the appearance of the loudmouth ace, Daichi let out an exasperated breath and narrowed his eyes in annoyance at the Nekoma Captain.

"Thanks for the heads up, Tetsuro." He sighed, the other captain rubbing the back of his neck but refusing to take all the blame.

"Excuse me for forgetting about someone who isn't in the room, when confronted with a talking cat. I'm sure it's fine, we'll just… Tell him not to tell anyone?"

"Suga-Chan is a cat now? This is totally cool; I've got to tell Akaashi!"

Whipping out his phone, Bokuto wasted no time navigating to his friend's contact and hit 'call'. Lurching toward the screen, Daichi and Sugawara both shouted in alarm.

"Stop him!"

"Damn it, Bokuto! Give me that, hang up the phone!"

Jumping out of his seat, Kuroo tackled the large boy to the ground and scrambled for the phone Bokuto was now holding out of reach. Fighting for possession of the cell, the two rolled around kicking and elbowing one another.

"I want to tell Akaashi, get off! You can't stop me!" Bokuto yelled as he hit speakerphone, the ring filling the room and making the Karasuno boys groan with anxiety, looking on as they were unable to do anything.

"Do you tell him every time you take a shit too? Hang up the phone, dammit!"

Face being smooshed by the hand of Fukurodani's captain shoving him away, Bokuto scowled and continued to hold the phone just far enough that Kuroo couldn't reach. As a last-ditch effort, he looked to the boy still playing his game on the bed and called for assistance.

"Kenma, grab it! Get the phone from him!"

Glancing wearily over the top of his handheld game, the setter sunk further into the mattress.

"I don't want to, I said don't involve me…" He muttered, tugging his hood up and shrinking in on himself as he ignored his friend's struggles on the floor.

"Kenma, you little-"

Before Kuroo could finish his sentence, the ringing that filled the room ceased, and a new voice came through the phone. Freezing, the three boys held their breath and went silent.

"Hello, Bokuto-san? I told you I had a college prep test I'm studying for, is this important?"

Grinning ferociously, Bokuto continued to shove Kuroo away from him and responded with excitement.

"It's super important, Akaashi! You know Suga-chan, right, right?"

The line was quiet for a moment but then there was a hum of acknowledgment.

"Are you speaking of Karasuno's other setter? Sugawara-San?"

"Yeah, yeah, that guy!" Sugawara glowered as the ace continued, annoyed but unable to interject. "He's a cat! He has a tail, and fur, and cute little cat ears! Oh and he can talk, you should see it!"

For another long moment, there was silence from the other end of the phone, the three waiting with bated breath as they debated what Akaashi might say. When the silence stretched on, Bokuto cocked his head in befuddlement and shook the phone in his hand as if his friend might feel it.

"Akaashi, are you there? Hello?"

"Yes, I'm here." The tone of the mild-mannered setter had changed from when he first spoke, it now held a level of lethality, a change that had the gold eyed boy pausing and looking marginally fearful.

"Listen carefully to me, Bokuto-San. I do not want to repeat myself a third time. I will be studying this weekend and cannot be disturbed with games or childish antics."

"Ch-childish? But- But Akaashi-" Bokuto said indignantly, clutching the phone tighter as he realized the younger boy didn't believe him, and intent on convincing him otherwise. Indifferent to his Captain's protest, Akaashi cut him off coldly.

"Do not interrupt me. As I was saying, I will be studying, so unless there is an absolute emergency, you should not be dialing my phone number. Sarukui-San and Washio-San are perfectly capable of answering your questions and entertaining you, there is no reason for you to disturb me. Is that clear?"

Stuttering as his mouth fell open and he tried to find his words, Bokuto blanched at the scolding he'd received, Kuroo ceasing his efforts to steal the phone in order to cover his mouth and stifle his laughter. Letting out a joint sigh of relief, Daichi and Suga relaxed a little.

Still struggling with a rebuttal, the boisterous captain frowned and shook his head.

"But, Akaashi! Suga-Chan really is a cat! I swear it if you just came over to see-"

"I said, is that clear?"

Pausing as he was cut off yet again, Bokuto crossed his arms in a powerful pout, but obliged.

"Yeah, whatever, but you're missing out-"

"A risk I'm willing to take. I will see you at Monday morning practice, Bokuto-San, do not call me again."

With that, the phone was disconnected, and the room returned to silence. As Bokuto stared at his phone appalled, it eventually began the loud beeping indicative of being hung up on, making the black- and white-haired boy pull himself together to make a noise of astonishment.

"He hung up on me!"

Letting out a hyena's cackle, Kuroo released the ace to sit up and clutch at his stomach as he laughed raucously.

"He really did! Way to go, Akaashi, didn't think you had it in you!"

As the distraught ace sat up and stared down at the phone in his hands as if it'd betrayed him, Sugawara flopped back in Daichi's lap and let out an intensely relieved sigh.

"Thank goodness, we should have known no one would believe him, why didn't we think of that?"

Shoulders drooping in his own relief and sagging back in the grass, Daichi dropped a hand on Suga and ruffled the fluff on his head.

"Good question, it's the obvious answer, really. If he tries to tell anyone, we'll just act like we don't know what he's talking about."

"HEY!" Bokuto barked, jumping to his feet and going back to the desk to glare at them. "You made Akaashi think I'm a child!" he yelled, jabbing fingers at the three of them as Kuroo got up and wandered back to the computer with a scoff.

"Trust me, it wasn't us that convinced him you're a child. Now if you want to say we made a liar out of you, by all means. But childish, that honor belongs to you, buddy."

Growling, Bokuto shoved the Nekoma captain's shoulder.

"Don't patronize me!"

Chuckling, Kuroo pushed the other boy out of the way and took a seat at the desk again, Bokuto gripping the back of the chair he sat in and leaning over his shoulder.

"So now that that's dealt with, you still haven't told me how it's even possible for someone to turn into a cat. Did you drink a magical potion or something?" Squinting his eyes and peering at Sugawara with a penetrating stare, Kuroo rubbed his chin. "This defies all logic; I don't really believe it myself."

Pulling back from Daichi's phone screen and leaning against the other boy's stomach, Sugawara stared back uneasily.

"Would you stop looking at me like that? I don't know how it's possible, but apparently, it is. All I know is a cat was being chased by a flock of crows, so I saved it. When it ran off, I followed to see where it was going but when I touched it…This happened."

"Wait, so some random cat showed up and after rescuing it, you chased after it?... Why didn't you just let it go?"

"That's what I said," Daichi muttered, shaking his head and causing Suga to give an affronted noise as he looked back and forth between them.

"What is this, a gang up on Suga committee?! Don't you think I've suffered enough without your lecturing?" He sulked, huffing out a sigh, and glaring up at them balefully.

"Hey hey, I think being a cat would be cool!" Bokuto offered, a grin on his face as he thought about it.

"No responsibilities, you can jump really high, everyone loves and wants to pet you… Sounds like a blessing!"

Shaking his furry head back and forth, the hair on Suga's tail fluffed up and he narrowed his round eyes.

"No it isn't, it's a curse! I still have responsibilities, but now I can't do them because I'm a cat! Not to mention this has been a day from hell, I was bit by a dog, fell in a pond, Daichi's Mom hit me over the head with a broom, his little sister bathed me, and I ate a can of cat food! How is that a blessing?!" He demanded, the hair on his nape standing as well.

"Yikes, his sister bathed you? That's rough buddy." Kuroo cringed, shaking his head at the setter's misfortune.

"Wait, you ate cat food? I've always wondered what that would taste like, was it good? I bet it was super fishy." Bokuto laughed to himself, Suga staring at him in disbelief before he let his head fall forward with exasperation.

"That's all you got out of everything I said? No wonder Akaashi hung up on you." Sugawara groaned, flopping down onto Daichi's legs and covering his head with his paws.

"There there." Daichi soothed, patting his cat friend sympathetically, unable to really do anything else.

"Do you want me to bite you again?"

"Well, compared to the scratches all over my chest and forearms, I'd say I could handle that."

Looking back up at Daichi with guilt quickly filling his features, Suga's ears laid flat and his eyes grew big and innocent.

"I said I was sorry, I didn't mean to make you bleed."

Laughing lightly, the brunette scratched the setter under his chin and gave a mellow smile.

"I know, I was kidding. Don't worry about it."

"Ahem…So… What are you guys going to do?"

Turning their attention back to the rooster haired captain, Daichi and Suga looked at each other briefly and then let out a sigh in unison.

"Your guess is as good as ours, we don't know what to do other than keep it quiet so he doesn't end up in a zoo. Hopefully, he just goes back to normal in time. That cat disappeared after Suga transformed, so it's not like we could even chase after it.

"Hmm… It really does sound like a curse. If you can't find the other cat, I've got no clue what you should do." Kuroo murmured, rubbing at the back of his head with no advice.

"Oh, I do! What if it's like those princess stories, you know like that one with a toad or something?" Bokuto exclaimed, lighting up with his grand idea.

"It's Princess and the Frog." Kenma muttered quietly in the background, almost inaudible.

Looking over the shoulder Bokuto wasn't hanging on, Kuroo crossed his arms.

"Thought you weren't getting involved."

"I'm not."

"Offering information counts as getting involved." The captain smirked, watching his kohai as he scowled from behind his game.

"Does not."

"…Does too."

"Does not."

"…Does too."

"Fine," The blond retorted irritably, turning his body away from the duo once more and yanking on the strings of his jacket to allow only a tiny hole for him to peer through. "Then forget I said it."

Shaking his head, Kuroo turned back to the computer and jabbed a thumb toward Kenma.

"Drama queen. Anyway, what are you going on about Owl for Brains?"

"Yeah, what are you talking about?" Sugawara asked eagerly, pushing himself up on Daichi's leg to better see the phone's screen.

"One of the books my Mom used to read me and my older sister when we were kids." Bokuto said, grabbing his chin and thinking back as he tried to remember the specifics.

"There was this one story about a girl and a frog and when they kissed it turned the frog into a prince! Maybe Suga just has to go kiss his true love or whatever, then he'll turn back into a dude!"

Brow furrowing, Kuroo looked skeptical.

"Who's going to kiss a cat?"

"I don't know, the girl he loves, I guess," Bokuto said, folding his arms and shrugging.

Shaking his head, Sugawara sighed.

"No way, that's not going to work. I'm not in love with anyone. Besides, if I tried to kiss someone like this, they'd probably run screaming." He sulked, ears laying back and looking the picture of dejection.

Squeezing his eyes shut tight, the ace thought for a moment before his head popped up with another idea.

"Oh, what about someone you're really close to? That's just as good, right? Who's your closest friend?"

Stiffening, Sugawara froze and then slowly turned to look over his shoulder.

"…Daichi."

"Wait, what? Me?" Daichi asked, face pinching in an uncomfortable expression.

"Well who else, you're my best friend! Am I not yours?" Suga asked, suddenly unsure as disappointment crept into his tone.

"N-no you are! I just- I don't want my first kiss to be with a cat." Daichi admitted, cheeks reddening, and avoiding eye contact as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

"BWAHAHA! Sawamura the Saint!" Kuroo cackled, holding his stomach again as tears beaded in the corners of his eyes.

"That laugh really grates on your nerves," Suga muttered, ears remaining flat as he glared at Nekoma's captain, Daichi looking equally annoyed as he flushed, and nodding in agreement.

Waiting for Kuroo to finish, the tall boy finally straightened once more and wiped the tears from his eyes before turning his attention back to Karasuno's captains.

"Well, are you going to get on with it?"

Looking to one another and then the screen, Daichi and Sugawara shook their heads.

"No!"

"Why not? What if it works?" Bokuto demanded, not seeing what the problem was.

"It probably won't," Suga argued, sighing as he continued to shake his head.

"But what if it does?" Kuroo asked with a wicked little grin, completely enjoying this very off-topic volleyball chat.

"You just want me to kiss a cat," Daichi said unentertained, crossing his free arm over his chest and staring dully at the other captain as he held his phone up.

"Nonsense, I'm just worried about Suga-Chan." He grinned. "How're we supposed to enjoy thrashing Karasuno if their other prized setter doesn't have fingers to set the ball? Don't you think you should be trying everything to get him back to normal? I'd kiss cat Kenma in a heartbeat to save Nekoma."

"I will rip your lips off your face if you try." Kenma threatened in the background, Kuroo rolling his eyes at his teammate.

"Relax, I said if you turned into a cat."

As the call fell into a lull of quiet, Bokuto threw his hands onto his hips and regarded the other two boys frustrated.

"Just do it and get it over with! What's the issue?"

"I don't know, getting fur in my mouth?" Daichi offered dryly.

Scoffing, Kuroo shook his head.

"Lame excuse. You guys are being babies, just do it and see if anything happens, it's not a big deal."

"Easy for you to say…" Sugawara muttered but turned his head to look back at Daichi and see what his

opinion on the matter was.

Reluctantly looking down at the cat in his lap, the brunette took in a deep breath and held it for a long moment before letting it out in a big huff.

"Alright fine, what the hell. I'll do it."

Eyes going wide, Suga blinked surprised.

"R-Really? Are you sure?"

Pushing a hand back over his head and making his hair stand on end, Daichi shrugged.

"I told you we were in this together, right? I'd be going back on my word if we didn't at least give it a try. I'm in if you are."

Facing going from stunned to eyes filled with gratitude, Suga nodded his head.

"Sure, let's give it a try. If this somehow works, I might be happy enough to kiss you a second time." Sugawara teased, attempting to lighten the mood as Daichi propped his phone against the tree they were sitting under and allowed the cat to jump out of his lap.

Grimacing with a half-smile, Daichi situated himself on his knees in the grass and knelt before Suga.

"I think once will be enough… Ready?"

Shooting a glare Bokuto and Kuroo's way as they inched closer to the screen to watch them, Suga turned back to Daichi and nodded.

"As I'll ever be."

"Okay… Here we go."

Suddenly looking nervous, Daichi swallowed his objections and began to lean down to the fluffy cat before him, Suga raising on his back legs to try and meet the captain halfway. Hesitating as they got close, Sugawara paused, but Daichi forged on and gently pressed his warm lips to his friend's, lingering a moment before pulling back. Face red, the captain reached up to scratch the back of his head and looked meekly down at his friend.

"Well? Feel any different?"

At first, there was nothing, but then Sugawara's face began to contort into an odd expression. Still sitting up on his back legs, the setter leaned back as he took in a sudden breath and then-

"CHOO!"

Sneezing violently, the fluffy cat fell back in the grass and laid there for a second before he sniffled and rolled into a sitting position once more. Rubbing a paw at his nose and licking over his lips, Suga shook his head.

"Nope, I feel the same… You taste like watermelon by the way."

Letting out a disappointed sigh, Daichi fell back onto his butt and crossed his legs so he could prop his head on his hands.

"And you smell like tuna."

Making an appalled noise, Suga hung his head and groaned.

"Please… Just kill me if the embarrassment doesn't."

"Huh, guess it didn't work after all. I'm all out of ideas." Bokuto said, folding his arms behind his head and giving a shrug.

"Looks like you might have to wait it out, that stinks. Hopefully it doesn't take too long, you'd better figure something out before Sawamura's Mom tries to make you an appointment to get neutered." Kuroo advised, Sugawara giving a choking sputtering sound and diving into Daichi's lap, where he hid between the arms that propped his friend's head up.

"Why would you say that?!" Suga cried, tail fluffing to twice its size as his ears pressed flat against his head in horror.

Shaking his head at the wild-haired boy, Daichi picked his phone up from where it leaned against the tree and gave Kuroo an unamused glare for frightening his setter.

"On that note, I think we'll reschedule our volleyball chat for another day. I'll let you know when things are back to normal, we'll talk later."

"Getting off so soon? I suppose it can't be helped when your vice starts coughing up hairballs. we'll hit you up later, good luck." Kuroo said with his usual laid-back grin, Bokuto leaning over his shoulder again to fill most of the frame with his face.

"Try squid cat food next, Suga-Chan!"

With that, Daichi hit the 'end call' button and sighed tiredly.

"Daichi?"

"Yeah?"

"You wouldn't let your Mom get me neutered …Right?"

Giving a little chuckle, the brunette picked his friend up beneath the armpits to look him in the eyes and shake his head.

"No, Suga.


	11. This Never Happened!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you so much for making it this far, I really had a ton of fun writing this and I've appreciated all the love and comments you've given me for Koshi's Curse! The last chapter is a long one, but full of laughs haha (At least I hope so XD ) I included a couple of little bonuses at the end, I hope you enjoy them! Thanks again for all the support, I hope to see you with my other stories too, until then stay happy and healthy!

“I’m going to eat in my bedroom, I think Button is a little under the weather. He’ll do better upstairs where it’s quiet.”

Looking to her son who carried both a plate of skewered meat and vegetables and a fluffy grey cat nestling into his neck, Mrs.Sawamura set her pair of tongs aside and cooed concerned.

“Oh no, you don’t think he got sick from falling into that pond, do you? It’s a good idea to let him rest, I’m sure Koshi would be upset if his kitty fell ill. I’ll bring up some tea in a bit, honey.”

Smiling gratefully, Daichi turned to head towards the stairs.

“Thanks, Mom.”

Hearing her brother make yet another excuse to keep her from snuggling Suga-san’s precious cat, Daichi’s younger sister groaned and protested as he left the room.

“Aw, you just want to keep Button all to yourself, Nii-san.” Kokoro called after him, looking to the cat forlorn as Sugawara nuzzled his face deeper into Daichi’s neck, digging his claws in to hold on in case the girl got any ideas.

Chuckling, Daichi shook his head but proceeded upstairs.

“Suga will kill me if I don’t start taking better care of his cat, he already gave me the third degree when I talked to him on the phone. He might be scrawny, but he can really throw a punch when he’s mad.”

“He’s not scrawny, he’s perfect! Uh- I- ahem, I mean… There is nothing wrong with his build.” Kokoro corrected, cheeks aflame as Sugawara dug his claws in a little deeper.

Snickering as his embarrassed sister abandoned hounding him and went back to helping their Mom in the kitchen, Daichi stifled his laughter as he jogged up the steps and spoke under his breath to Suga.

“Ouch, alright alright, you’re not scrawny so cut it out. I can’t wait till you go back to normal, just so you stop scratching me.”

Back in his bedroom with soft evening light giving the space a warm glow, Daichi used his foot to push the door shut behind him and crossed his room to disentangle Suga from his tank. Leaping from his arms and onto the bed, the setter did a little circle before sitting down and wrapping his tail around himself delicately. As the brunette made his way to the desk with his plate of food, Sugawara leveled him with a narrow-eyed stare, his hazel eyes shining with the desire for retribution. Why was it Daichi thought he could get away with teasing him? He thought the captain had more self-preservation than that.

“Wow, Daichi, I don’t know whether you’re brave or stupid, but I’m inclined to think the latter. Have you got a death wish or something because it really seems like you do?” Sugawara proposed, voice dripping false sweetness, the corner of his mouth pulling up in a Cheshire cat’s grin. 

“Or maybe seeing your life flash before your eyes when the first years knocked the vice principal’s toupee off gave you some sort of thrill, and now you’re searching for ways to repeat the experience… Is that it?”

Stiffening as he set his plate down, Daichi paled and momentarily re-lived the horror that was that awful day. Giving a shiver, the brunette looked over his shoulder at his friend who he knew was equal parts kind and chaos, before shaking his head and turning to put his hands up in surrender.

“I’ll back off, okay? I seriously can’t handle another prank in my locker Suga, so please stop making that face.”

Head tilting up in an innocent aloofness, Sugawara blinked nonchalantly as he let his eyes roll over to his friend.

“Are you sure? I thought you were a fan of the clown mask. What about the spiders? The blown-up picture of Tanaka’s bare ass? That one was my personal favorite.” Suga snickered deviously as the brunette gave him a dry stare, tugging his desk chair out and falling into it unceremoniously.

“There’s something wrong with you, you know that?”

“Or something so right.” Suga winked, then raised on his back legs to get a better look at Daichi’s plate. “You’re sharing, right? Because I’m starving.”

Springing from the bed, he ran over to Daichi and pawed at his leg demanding he make room for Suga to jump into his lap. Dangerously close to commenting on the entire can of cat food the silver-haired boy had eaten earlier, Daichi caught his stupid mouth just in time and changed what he was going to say.

“Weirder things than feeding my dinner to a cat have happened today, so I don’t see why not. Get up here.”

Moderately pleased with the response, Suga leaped up into Daichi’s lap and then hopped up onto the desk, beginning to sniff the plate of food before the captain made a noise and shooed him back a little.

“You’re going to get hair on everything, let me get it for you.”

Sniffing indignantly, Suga sat down with a face that could only be considered a pout and laid his ears flat.

“Fine, but you don’t have to shoo me away like an animal!”

Again, Daichi refrained from saying what was really on his mind in favor of a booby trap free locker but did give an exasperated sigh.

“Sorry, here.”

Slipping a scallion from the skewer, he pulled a chunk of chicken off and placed it on the desk surface in front of Suga. Bending his head toward it, Sugawara gave it a sniff and a couple of licks… But then paused to look up and stare wordlessly at Daichi. Raising a skewer to his mouth, the brunette paused just before he took a bite and stared back. After a moment of silence, he lowered his food and sighed.

“What now?”

“It’s too big, it needs to be smaller so I can eat it.”

Shaking his head, Daichi put the kabob back on the plate, but picked up the chunk of chicken once more and began ripping it into bite size bits. Placing them at Suga’s feet, he couldn’t help but give a reluctant smile as Sugawara’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, thanking him before pushing Daichi’s hands out of the way to get to it.

“Thanks, Daichi!”

Chuckling, the captain ran a hand down the fluffy cat’s back, intrigued as he felt the steady rumble of a purr vibrating beneath his palm. A satisfying calm fell over him as he listened to the soft humming Sugawara made as he ate and he found himself continuing to stroke his soft fur as he let his attention drift to the warm light spilling into the room from the setting sun.

Daichi had plenty of responsibility without throwing a pet into the mix while being the captain of the volleyball club, struggling to keep up with his college prep classes, and holding the title of the eldest son, but after spending the day looking after his friend turned feline… He was contemplating the welcome calmness petting a cat offered. With a million things to do, it was nice to just sit down and enjoy the evening with a furry creature for company. Falling into his thoughts as he stared out the window and gave a yawn, the brunette blinked sleepily as the cat under his hand turned to push his head into Daichi’s palm and nuzzle it with an audible purr. Smiling wide, he rubbed Sugawara’s ears then moved to scratch at his chin as the setter leaned into his touch.

“What has you all quiet and contemplative? Trying to solve world hunger or think up the cure for cancer?” Suga inquired as he continued to purr.

“Not quite, I think I might adopt a cat after this is all over.”

“Yeah? It’s about time you do something for fun rather than necessity, hopefully, I helped your parents warm up to the idea.”

Daichi laughed and suddenly feeling playful, wrapped an arm around the cat and scooped him into his arms to hug him to his chest and bury his nose in the fluff of Suga’s head. Letting out a startled cry, Sugawara struggled wide-eyed in his friend's grasp, tail poofing up as the captain squished him.

“Eh-H-hey! What are you doing?!”

Low snicker shaking the cat he held against his chest, Daichi grinned as he enjoyed how feathery soft his friend’s fur was.

“Doing something for fun rather than necessity isn’t this what you said I should do?”

Sputtering flustered as he pushed with all his might to squeeze out of Daichi’s grip, Suga wiggled and kicked until he finally gave in and let his arms stick out straight, the other boy’s warm breath ruffling the fur on his head as his nose nuzzled him.

“This is not what I meant, Daichiiii. Come on, let me go, I’m still hungry!”

“Of course, you are.” Daichi laughed, taking mercy on his friend and loosening his grip enough to allow Suga to hurriedly jump from his arms and back onto the desk. Hiding his snickering behind his hand as he looked at the now crazy mused state of Suga’s fur, the brunette couldn’t help but to find the annoyed glare he got amusing.

“What’s that supposed to mean, are you calling me fat or something?”

“With how much you’ve been eating at school lately, I’m surprised you’re not.” Daichi replied, pulling another hunk of chicken off the skewer and beginning to pull it apart.

Puffing his chest out, Sugawara raised his chin to look more dignified as he responded.

“That’s because I’m bulking up, I’m not giving Kageyama that starters position easily, he’s going to have to work to keep it.” He nodded determined, then pushed Daichi’s hand out of the way once more to begin eating again.

“I’ll take that spot right out from under him if he stops giving it his all, someone has to remind these first years they’re not the only players who want to be out there.”

Even if Sugawara was their playful, sometimes less than mature, vice-captain, Daichi was glad to have the other boy by his side. Where he ruled with a supportive but iron fist, Suga kept things grounded and inspired tenacity. As he smiled and picked up the skewer to finally begin eating his dinner, the captain thought about how much he was going to miss volleyball when they graduated.

A couple of hours after finishing Daichi’s dinner and spending some time watching videos of their previous matches on the computer, the duo was still at the desk with homework strewn across the surface, multiple books open. The sun had long since gone down, and sitting atop Daichi’s Modern English textbook, Sugawara gave a large yawn before sinking into a more comfortable, loaf like position.

“I’m using that, you know?” Daichi commented, using his pencil to lift Suga’s long fluffy tail so he might attempt to translate the rest of the sentence he was writing.

“At least you can do your homework, why didn’t you bring my bag so you could fill out my English too? Now I’m going to have to catch up on Trig, English, and Chemistry, that should be fun.”

“I told you before, my Mom would be suspicious if I brought both of our bags home. I’m sorry, I know it sucks. I’ll help you catch up on it when you have fingers again. Maybe next time you’ll listen to me when I say to leave weird cats alone?” He inquired, his attention back on his homework as he tapped his pencil against his lips and then began to scribble the next few words down.

“Yeah yeah, you know… Everything…” Sugawara said, his voice trailing off as he got distracted, his pupils blown wide suddenly.

Eyes chasing the pink tip of Daichi’s pencil, he forgot everything they were just talking about in favor of hunching down as his rump lifted into the air and wiggled, his mind cleared of any concerning school matters. Focused as he was, the brunette did not anticipate a furry grey mass to go sliding across all his papers and tackle the pencil in his hand.

“Suga! What the heck?”

Laying on his back, the other boy had managed to pull the pencil to him that Daichi still gripped and began biting at it and kicking at his friend with his back feet. Bemused, the captain couldn’t help but laugh, his head falling back as Suga left teeth marks in his writing utensil. He really hoped he wasn’t transforming even more into a cat as time went on, because currently, it was just too funny for him to be concerned.

A few minutes of laughter later, Daichi’s mother quietly poked her head into the room to find her son snickering and speaking in a quiet voice to his friend’s cat. She could see him dangling his pencil above the fluffy thing as it sat up on its back legs and batted at the offending object, eyes big and transfixed. She found it unusual his papers and a notebook had been scattered across the floor but it warmed her heart to see her usually proper and responsible boy acting like a typical teenager, especially since it usually took the presence of Koshi to make him smile like that.

Stepping into the room, Daichi’s mother tapped her knuckles on the door a couple of times to give him a warning she was entering and watched as he looked over his shoulder startled.

“Oh- Mom.” He said quickly, dropping his pencil and clearing his throat. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

Laughing lightly, she knelt to begin gathering her son’s papers and smiled up at him as she stacked them on top of the fallen notebook and handed them to him.

“Well don’t stop on my account, I’m happy Button is feeling better and the two of you get along.” She said giving him a little wink.

Taking the papers, Daichi let out a little breath but smiled back up at her as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Thanks… I’ve been thinking, maybe it would be nice to have my own cat. After uh, Button goes home, of course.” He added, looking over to Suga who looked back at him with encouragement in his knowing eyes. 

Eyes brightening, Mrs. Sawamura smiled at her son and then came over to squeeze his shoulders tenderly as she leaned down to plant a kiss on his temple.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, sweetheart. We can run it by your Father tomorrow to make sure it’s okay with him too. For now, you should be getting ready for bed, it’s late. Did you finish your homework?”

Smiling back, Daichi reached up with a hand to give his Mom a squeeze in return.

“Most of it, I’ll do the rest in study hall with Suga. I’ll clean up for tonight.”

Giving a soft hum of approval, she patted him on the shoulder and picked up the empty cup of tea from his desk before turning to head back out.

“Alright, sweet dreams my little Muffin Man, see you in the morning.”

Making a choked sound as his mother shut the door behind her, Daichi looked to Sugawara as the cat coughed a laugh and hid his face in the fur on his shoulder to stifle his snickering. Turning scarlet, Daichi picked the cat up by the scruff of his neck and whispered vehemently into is friend’s laughing face.

“Not a word, you hear me? I mean it Suga, or else I’ll- I’ll- I don’t know what I’ll do, but you’ll regret it.” He hissed, giving the cat a little shake as it appeared his threats were not so threatening.

Still stifling laughter, Suga nodded his head.

“M-My lips are sealed.” He managed.

Getting to his feet, Daichi carried Suga over to the bed and deposited him without much gentleness, the grey and cream cat flopping down onto the mattress and tumbling onto his side.

“Wow captain, that was pretty mean! Maybe you shouldn’t get a cat after all.” He teased, sticking his tongue out at his friend as he continued to grin widely.

“Shut up or I’ll dump you in my sister’s room for the night.” Daichi warned, face void of humor as he tugged off his tank and tossed it into his laundry basket, it was far too hot to sleep in anything more.

Ducking down, Suga hid his head beneath his front paws and scowled at his friend.

“Low blow, Daichi… You’re no fun.”

“Can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Move over.” Daichi retorted, flicking the desk light off and turning the room dark except for the silvery glow filtering in from the full moon hanging low in the sky outside the window.

Moving to Daichi’s pillow to get out of the way, Suga huffed disappointed as his friend plugged his phone in and then pulled the thin blanket back to climb beneath the covers. The brunette really did lack a sense of humor sometimes, what a buzzkill!

As the two settled in for the night, the room grew quiet with only the sound of their yawns and Daichi’s rustling as he got comfortable. He was just about to tell his cat friend goodnight, but then the other boy spoke up before he could, his voice a whisper.

“Daichi?” 

Turning his head, the captain looked over at Suga who’d made himself comfortable curled up at his shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“… I’m scared. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I don’t turn back… I don’t want to be like this forever.”

Turning his head to look up at the ceiling, Daichi was quiet for a few seconds but then folded his arms beneath his head and gave another deep yawn.

“Well, we’ve already planned to go to the same university, and we can’t do that if you’re a cat, so I guess we’re just going to have to figure it out. You’re not going to stay like this Suga, I promise. You’ve had a long day, get some sleep.” He said, then turned his head just a little to smile at his friend in that easy-going way all the Sawamuras did.

Blinking brown-hazel eyes at his friend, Suga smiled back after a moment and nodded.

“Yeah. Right, I won’t stay like this. If it’s possible to turn into a cat, it must be possible to turn back. Thanks.”

As Daichi was closing his eyes and about to say goodnight for the second time, the brunette felt something nudging his side and then climbing onto his chest beneath the blanket. Shaking his head in protest, he let out a sigh and looked down at Suga who was making himself comfortable atop him, spinning in a circle and curling up into a tight ball.

“Suga… It’s really too hot for this, can’t you lay next to me?”

Looking to his friend with eyes filled with pleading hope, Sugawara buried his nose in his tail as he guilted his friend.

“I know… I’m just kind of freaked out still… This makes me feel a little better. Can’t I stay here for just a little bit?”

Knowing he’d lost before he’d said a word, Daichi shook his head at his friend’s shameless manipulation, but gave in with a light smile.

“Fine, have it your way.” He relented, reaching a hand out from behind his head to ruffle the fur on his small head. “Goodnight Suga.”

Beginning a low happy purr, he finished making himself comfortable and then looked up at Daichi mischievously and whispered; “Goodnight Muffin Man.”

Letting out a grunt, Daichi squashed Suga’s head beneath his hand and then tucked it back beneath his own with a scowl and closed his eyes.

“Go to sleep, you troll.”

Snickering to himself again, he obliged.

…

At approximately 8:30 the next morning, Daichi’s phone began its usual barking alarm, the light from the early morning sun illuminating his bedroom and aiding in rousing the duo. Taking in a deep breath, Daichi’s eyes remained closed as he felt around aimlessly for the device, Suga mumbling “Five more minutes…” Fairly close to his ear.

As his hand finally found the blinking phone, Daichi’s foggy mind registered a hot heavyweight pinning down his right arm and something draped across his chest. Creaking his eyes open to flip his phone open and turn off the alarm, the brunette finally registered something was off, and seeing an expanse of fair skin dotted in beauty marks realized it was Sugawara laying half on top of him… As a human!

Filled with excited relief, Daichi shook the arm that lay across his chest to wake him up.

“Suga, Suga, you’re back to normal, you’re not a cat, get up!”

Rubbing the sleep out of his eye and trying to become coherent enough to understand what the brunette was saying, Suga mumbled as Daichi slowly began to realize something else. Stiffening, the captain looked at his friend’s bare back again and slapped a hand over his mouth as he shoved Sugawara off him and promptly fell out of the bed and onto the floor with a loud bang.

Alarmed by the sound of his friend falling, Suga jerked upright and looked around wildly as the blanket fell around him.

“Daichi! What’s wrong, are you okay? What’s going on?” He asked, voice heavy with sleep and disorientation as he peered over the side of the bed, the other boy waving his arms and face going red as he slapped his hands over his eyes hastily.

“You’re naked! Cover up! Oh god, you were laying on top of me, oh my god…” Daichi groaned, scrubbing his eyes, and wishing he could get the image of his nude friend snuggling him, out of his head.

Finally catching on, Suga looked down to see his bare chest, and after the initial excitement of realizing he was no longer a cat, flushed from hairline to navel.

“AH! Oh my god, I was- and you were- OH GOD!”

Snatching up Daichi’s covers, he wasted no time covering himself, but then there was a voice outside the door and Daichi was quickly jumping to his feet to shove Suga’s head beneath the blanket. “Don’t move!” He hissed, pushing him down and throwing the pillow on top to make it appear as if the bedclothes were all bunched up, the captain plopped down onto the mattress and tried to look casual as his Father opened the door and peered in.

“What’s going on? I heard a loud bang and were you yelling?”

“Uh-uh… I uh…” Struggling to come up with an excuse as he tried to hide the presence of his best friend laying naked under his covers, Daichi felt sweat bead on his temples as he forced a laugh. “S-sorry, there was this huge spider. Yeah, it uh fell on my face, and uh, I fell out of bed trying to kill it.”

Eyeing his son as if he’d lost his mind, his father nodded his head slowly. “Right… Well, did you kill it?”

Nodding his head a bit too eagerly to appear casual, Daichi scratched the back of his head and gave another forced laugh.

“Oh yeah, smashed it with my er… My phone! Yep, so nothing else to scream over, sorry for waking you.” He apologized, bowing his head and hoping it was enough to convince him.

Continuing to stare at his son for another confusing moment, Mr. Sawamura backed out slowly and began to pull the door shut.

“If you say so… Your Mother left protein bars on the table for breakfast and a bento in the refrigerator for your lunch. Make sure to grab them.” He said, closing the door behind him and shaking his head as he went.

Releasing a tense breath and letting his head hang as Sugawara’s popped out from beneath the blanket, the two thanked their lucky stars it had been his father that popped in, and not one of his nosey siblings.

“That was a close one…” Suga muttered, then let his face fall flat into the blankets and groaned.

Giving a groan of his own, Daichi got to his feet and drug a hand down his face as he went to his closet and began to scavenge clothes for both him and his friend.

“This never happened, got it? We’ll never hear the end of it if the guys find out and I’m not listening to Noya and Tanaka’s jokes until we graduate.” He muttered, gathering up a bundle for Suga and tossing it at him.

“Do you think I’d go skipping into the gym sharing this with everyone? Even I have a little shame, Daichi, come on.”

A very stressful hour later, Daichi and Sugawara were trudging down the sidewalk on their way to morning practice, the latter looking worse for wear as little twigs and leaves stuck out of his already mused silver hair, his arms covered in scratches from crows the day prior, and a purplish bruise circling his left wrist from where the dog bit him. Aside from his minor injuries, the setter was covered in dirt and wore a pair of slip-on sandals that happened to be the only shoes Daichi had that weren’t too big for Suga. As the two approached the place they parted ways with Asahi the day before, they didn’t even notice the quiet giant until he spoke up and called their attention.

“Suga, you’re back to normal!”

Looking up slightly dazed, the setter fixed his eyes on the other boy and then raised a hand in acknowledgment.

“Oi, morning, Asahi.”

Jogging to catch up with the captain and vice-captain, Asahi furrowed his brow and leaned down to look at Suga a little closer.

“Oh uh… You look a little rough Suga, what happened?”

Letting out a sigh, Daichi stuffed his hands deeper into the pockets of his shorts and offered the larger boy some information.

“He turned back to normal overnight, but we had to sneak him out of the house so my family didn’t see.”

Tilting his head to the side, Asahi rubbed his chin in thought. “And how did you do that?”

“I had to climb out the window.” Suga huffed.

Pausing as he walked, the ace’s eyes grew wide. “Wait, isn’t Daichi’s bedroom on the second floor?”

Continuing to walk, the short-haired brunette nodded with a grimace. “Yeah, he fell into the bushes.”

“And then Daichi’s little sister was in the yard, so I had to crawl through them to keep her from spotting me.”

Cringing, Asahi began walking once more and shook his head at the duo.

“Yikes… Well… I’m glad you’re back to normal.” He said gently, laying a hand on Suga’s shoulder and giving a gentle squeeze that made the other boy smile reluctantly.

“Thanks, me too.”

As the three third years traveled the rest of the way to the school, they shared a comfortable silence until they got to the courtyard. They had just walked through gates that led them to the gymnasium when Daichi staggered to a sudden stop, his arms jutting out to halt his friends from going any further.

“What are you doing?” Suga asked confused, but as he turned his head to see what Daichi was looking at, he froze in horror.

There in front of them… Was a cat… But not just any cat, this cat looked identical to when Suga had been transformed, down to the little black speckle beneath the left eye, and it was looking right at them as it sat in the middle of the path to the gym.

Taking a couple of steps back, Suga shook his head and made an X with his arms.

“No, no way am I going anywhere near that thing! Shoo, shoo! Go on, get out of here!” He called, waving a hand to the cat and taking another weary step back to place himself behind Asahi.

“Why are you hiding behind me?!” Asahi demanded, back peddling and creating distance between him and the mysterious cat.

Watching the creature with narrowed eyes, Daichi was preparing himself to make a run for it but then the cat got to its feet and winked before turning away from them and trotting in the opposite direction. Stunned, the three kept their eyes on the grey and cream animal until it disappeared into the brush and was completely gone from their sight. Looking between one another, they were all left speechless until a loud voice shouted to them from behind and broke them from their trance.

“HEEEY, SUGAAA! You’re back to your old self, nice!” Nishinoya cried, the rest of the team following not far behind and giving various tired cheers as they walked past the third years and headed toward the club room, a few of them patting Suga on the back as they went by.

“Uh, yeah…” Suga said, looking to the bushes skeptically but after trading glances with the other two, began to walk to the club room with the rest of the team.

Once inside, Sugawara went to his bag to grab his volleyball shoes and sat down on the bench feeling exhausted as Daichi told the rest of the guys how he had turned back into a human overnight. As everyone set their bags down and stuffed things into lockers, Tanaka came over to lean down in the vice captain's face, scrutinizing him closely.

“So did the Sawamuras make you sleep outside last night, bro? Is that why you look like shit?” He inquired, straightening to cross his arms over his chest and let out a boisterous laugh.

Scowling, Sugawara slipped a sandal off and expertly chucked it at the second year who took it to the forehead and continued to laugh.

“Not that you actually care, but no. I slept in Daichi’s bed..”

“So his parents didn’t mind he brought a cat home?” Yamaguchi inquired as he sat on the floor and slipped his knee pads on.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Suga let out a sigh.

“You could say his mom warmed up to the idea after hitting with her broom a few times… But yeah, mostly they were fine with it.”

Eyes big with alarm, the freckle-faced boy gave a sympathetic smile as he continued to get dressed.

“Oh, uh… That’s good, I think.”

Before he could answer, Hinata popped into the setter’s line of sight and he had to pull back to clearly see the boy and his forever wild ginger hair.

“Suga-san, did you get smaller after turning into a cat? Your clothes look like they’re too big now” He deduced eagerly, face scrunched up as he looked the older boy over carefully.

Letting out a laugh, Daichi chuckled behind him and shook his head.

“He didn’t shrink, those are my clothes. I had to loan him some since his bag was here.”

“Oh yeah… Darn it, I was hoping he’d get shorter than me.” Hinata mourned, but then was suddenly drowned out by his upperclassman.

“WAIT, wait one freakin minute!” Tanaka crowed, his face contorting into the most amused expression as he looked between the two captains.

“If he changed back overnight but didn’t have clothes… and he slept in your bed… HAHAHA! That must have been a great surprise to wake up to!” The loud boy cackled, doubling over in laughter as Daichi and Sugawara flushed embarrassed, avoiding eye contact and shaking their heads as the rest of the guys also began to snicker and chuckle. 

Growling annoyed, Daichi slapped Tanaka on the back of the head and shoved him toward the door.

“If you don’t drop it, I’ll give you so many flying laps you won’t have energy left to laugh.” He threatened, but it only worked for a second before the second-year burst into laughter once more.

Placing a hand in his forehead, Suga let out an exasperated sigh as he finished lacing up his shoes and then looked to the captain who was currently glaring daggers at most of the other players. Remembering something then, the silver-haired boy called Daichi’s attention and waved him over.

“Oh Daichi, come here for a second.”

Perplexed but distracted, the brunette crossed the short distance and folded his arms over his chest as his angry stare lingered on Noya and Tanaka wiping the tears from their eyes as they laughed.

“If you’ve got any ideas to make them shut up, I’m all- OOF-!”

Breath rushing out of him, Daichi doubled over as Sugawara let his fist fly and socked the other boy right in the gut. Suddenly all of the laughter ceased in the club room, and they all looked to their vice with large eyes as Daichi coughed and sputtered.

Smiling sweetly, Suga got to his feet and patted his friend on the shoulder.

“That’s for letting your little sister bathe me, I’ll call us even now.” He grinned, turning his gaze to the rest of the boys and leveling them with a lethal grin.

“Now what were we laughing about again? Or were we headed to the gym to start practice?” He asked, his hand raising to his chin in contemplation, but his eyes meeting those of everyone in the room.

It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop as they stared back, but then everyone was quickly bustling with movement.

“Last one to the gym is a rotten egg!” Hinata yelled, dashing out of the room with Kageyama hot on his heels.

"That’s cheating, you little dumbass!” 

In seconds, the entire clubroom was empty except for Suga and Daichi, who was still trying to catch his breath, the rest of the team apparently knowing what was good for them. Smirking to himself, the setter made his way out and called back to his friend as he paused in the doorway.

“Don’t take too long, captain, we’ll be waiting for you.” He snickered, watching as Daichi responded with a shaky thumbs up, still hunched over and one eye squeezed shut as the door closed behind him.

Beginning to whistle a happy tune, Suga set off down the steps, appreciatating how nice it felt to be able to curl his fingers into a fist again..

**Epilogue**

“Kenma, isn’t that Suga-chan?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, there’s nobody around but you and me, Kuroo.” The blond muttered monotoned, his eyes only raising from his phone briefly as he looked around, then going back to his screen.

“No, I’m sure that’s him. That looks exactly like the cat Sawamura had, it has the black dot below its eye and everything. What’s he doing here in the city?” Kuroo wondered aloud, crouching down and reaching a hand out to the fluffy feline that was staring at him far too intense to be a normal cat, and beckoning it over.

“Got lost did ya, Suga-chan? Well, aren’t you lucky I’m such a generous person? Come on, I’ll take you home.”

Face screwing up into a disturbed frown, Kenma took a step back and shook his head.

“Stray animals are bad news, you shouldn’t touch it.” The younger boy warned, but Kuroo waved away his concern as the cat began a slow saunter over.

“It’s hardly a stray if you know him, see that? He’s coming right to me.”

In the alley of a street not far from Nekoma High School, there was a blinding flash that lit up the block.

…

Here is a little doodle I drew of what I picture cat Suga to look like!  



End file.
